https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/3bb2d773-9c8e-4be3-9f10-649aa0acf05a Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Website: https://PeriscopeFilm.com Dating to April of 1944, this reel of gun camera footage shows planes of the VIII Fighter Command and the 4th, 78th, 352nd, 355th, 357th, 359th fighter groups in action over Occupied France. This includes air to ground attacks, but the reel also contains footage of dogfights. During this time period the VIII operated Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, and North American P-51 Mustangs. Note: Some of the German losses on the ground in this period were immense. The 78th Fighter Group set the record for the European Theater when they destroyed 135 planes on the ground on their mission of April 16th, 1945. 00:00 Main title. 2nd Lt. G.C. Siems, Jr. of the 334th Squadron is shown attacking a flak tower, and facilities at an air base (00:28) 00:29 Capt. R.C. Care of the 334th Squadron is seen attacking an Me-110 01:01 1st Lt. P.S. Riley of the 335th Squadron attacks ground targets and a trainer or artillery spotting aircraft / biplane, probably a Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann 01:15 Capt. J.R. Happel of the 335th Squadron is shown attacking dispersed German aircraft parked at an airbase. Many burning planes are visible on the runways. 01:59 1st Lt. R.F. Nelson of the 336th Squadron is shown strafing a German air base which appears to be the same one straged by Lt. Siems at the start of the film. 02:25 Lt. J.W. Wilkinson of the 82nd Squadron is shown attacking dispersed German aircraft parked at an airbase. 02:51 1st Lt. F.H. Cutler of 486th Squadron attacks a Ju-52 (3:14), two FW-190s (3:22), a train (3:07) and ground targets. 03:33 Lt. C.J. Luksic of the 487th Squadron attacks ground targets including a train and multiple parked aircraft 04:19 1st Lt. Doersch of the 370th Squadron is shown in a dogfight with an FW-190. The plane explodes in a fireball at 4:41. (Note: this is likely George Doersch who ended WWII with 158 combat missions, 567 combat hours, and was honored with the Silver Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Air Medals, and the Croix de Gerre. He flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 370th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group.) 04:48 Lt. Col. E.W. Stewart of the 354th Squadron attacks an Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) heavy fighter and Schnellbomber, a Ju-88 and ground targets including parked aircraft. Note: this is likely Everett Wilson Stewart a WWII ace with 7.83 aerial victories and 1.5 ground victories. 05:18 Lt. Jacobson of the 354th Squadron is shown attacking dispersed German aircraft parked at an airbase. 05:41 Capt. Lenfest of the 354th Squadron attacks steam locomotives and trains (05:50) and then strafing a German air base 06:21 Lt. R.L. Baker of the 82nd Squadron in a dogfight with an FW-190 which cartwheels into the ground. 06:34 Lt. B.M. Watkins of the 82nd Squadron in a dogfight with a Ju-87 or Stuka. At 7:01, Watkins strafes an airfield and the planes parked on it. 07:08 Lt. K.R. Wagner of the 82nd Squadron is shown in a dogfight with an Fw-190. At 7:23, the enemy aircraft hits the deck and explodes in a huge fireball. 07:26 Capt. C.E. Anderson of the 363 Squadron is shown attacking two Me-109s and an Heinkel He-111 medium bomber. Note: this is Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson, a triple ace of WWII. He was promoted to major at 22. After the war, he became a test pilot and a fighter squadron and wing commander, serving a combat tour in the Vietnam War before retiriing as a full colonel. He received an honorary promotion to brigadier general prior to his death. 08:32 1st Lt. Robert C. Smith of the 364th Squadron in a dogfight with an Me-109. Note: Smith was KIA on June 8, 1944; awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and Air Medal. 08:57 2nd Lt. R.R.Nowlin of the 364th Squadron attacking an Fw-190 and Me-109 and strafing a large barracks or concentration camp and a train. 09:54 1st Lt. W.C. Reese of the 364th Squadron in a dogfight with an Me-109 10:25 1st Lt. H.R. Ankeny of the 362nd Squadron in a dogfight with an Me-109 Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. 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 https://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbsw6EQE43s Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:49:21 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/3bb2d773-9c8e-4be3-9f10-649aa0acf05a 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.