Zeno's World War II Bomber Collection - 15 DVDs!

You'll receive fifteen professionally produced, full screen home DVDs, with up to seven World War 2 aviation films per DVD. Disk titles are: A-20/A-26, B-17, Flying the B-24, B-25, B-26, B-29 (Volumes 1 & 2), US Navy Bombers, US Bombers Go to War, Target For Today, Target for Tonight, Combat America, Memphis Belle, B-24 Liberators Go to War, and Operation Titanic. The DVDs also include more than 14 detailed pilot's manuals for the featured aircraft, with flight instructions, performance charts, systems diagrams, photographs & much more. And, unlike other historic film publishers, we have digitally restored many of our videos. Pilot's manuals are in Adobe Acrobat file format and are viewable on any computer equipped with a DVD player.

Bomber DVDs

The Boeing B-17 DVD Five films & Pilot's Manual

* How to Fly the Boeing B-17 in four parts (1943, B&W) Amazingly durable and bristling with guns, the B-17 led the charge over Europe. Four very detailed & well produced films presented in an easy going pilot-to-pilot format. These are the complete original films -- not edited summaries.

* Part 1: Ground Operations (34:00) Veteran actor Arthur Kennedy ("Lawrence of Arabia") takes a rookie pilot through a complete preflight check, including exterior, interior and instruments. Your guided step by step through the complete procedure, including engine stat up and run up.

* Part 2 Flight Operations( 29:00) Part 2 takes up where Part 1 left off with takeoff, flight characteristics and landing. An entertaining animation shows the importance of proper attitude in the B-17 during takeoff, and once again, you'll see a hands on demonstration of the proper use of all instruments during the flight.

* Part 3: Emergency Operations (25:00)This films literally a "hot stove" session where veteran pilots give hands on advice on how to overcome some of their most challenging B-17 emergency situations. You'll learn how to handle dangerous situations like in flight engine fires, CG induced flight instability, stalls, emergency Takeoffs & landings and more.

* Part 4: The Induction system (23:00) Your admiration for the knowledge and skill of Fortress pilots will soar when you learn all about how to manage the B-17s complex and temperamental Turbo Supercharger system! Animations provide a detailed, yet easy to understand, explanations of the proper operation of the interdependent elements of the big Fort's high altitude breathing system. A gear heads delight!

* B-17 25 Hour Inspection (28:00.1943, B&W ) This fascinating film is told from a B-17 crew chief's perspective. You'll literally get under the skin of the mighty Fortress as skilled mechanics perform comprehensive 25 hour maintenance and check out of everything from flight control system cables to oil filters and turret operation.

109 page Boeing B-17 pilot's manual with photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, flight procedures & more. "You don't really know the inside workings of the Boeing B-17 until you've been through this comprehensive handbook. They reference it many times during the B-17 training films. One of my favorites," -- Zeno

The Memphis Belle DVD -- Three Flims & B-17 Mechanic's Manual

* The Memphis Belle (1944, Technicolor, 43:00) The film chronicles the 25th mission of the Boeing B-17 Memphis Belle, flying deep into Germany to strike the all important U-boat submarine pens at Wilhemshaven. This is the original wartime documentary, written and directed by legendary Academy Award winner William Wyler. If this film looks mad sounds familiar, it's because this is the same production crew that brought you another wonderful classic, "Thunderbolt!." (Don't confuse this "original" Memphis Belle with the well intentioned but flawed Hollywood fluff piece produced in the 1990s.) You'll see Capt Robert Morgan and the men of the B-17 "Memphis Belle," 324th Squadron, 91st BG, going about their deadly business in rare Technicolor footage. The mission shown in the film is both routine and climactic, because 25 missions completed meant the crew could rotate out of combat. (Too many never made it to 25 missions. Bomber losses were high.) It's a measure of both the times and the men who flew these planes that several of the Belle's crew signed on for more missions, finishing the War flying B-29s against Japan. See them in Target Tokyo.

* B-17E 25 Hour Inspection "The Crew Chief" (Produced by Army Air Force -- 1943, B&W, 44:00) This is another fascinating B-17 maintenance film, aimed at the B-17 crew chief. Although it covers the same general procedures as the Boeing produced film, the film is twice as long and goes into significantly more detail. And not surprisingly , this Army Air Force film covers some different ground than the Boeing film, and vice versa. Taken together with the "B-17F E&M Mechanic's Instructions Manual" (see below) provides a treasure trove for B-17 Fans

* Winning Your Wings (1942, B&W, 20:00) The United States entry into World War II seemed to happen almost over night. The Army Air Corps needed thousands qualified air and ground officers and crew yesterday. "Winning Your Wings" is an early war recruiting film hosted and enthusiastically narrated by Capt Jimmy Stewart. (Stewarts stirring delivery is a highlight of the film.) Already an accomplished pilot, Stewart enlisted early. He served stateside as a B-17 flight instructor and then as a combat bomber pilot and squadron leader in Europe throughout the war. The film shows how joining the Air Corps provides a quick path to noncom and officer status and an advanced (for the time) training program. It also emphasizes that lack of a college degree is not a prerequisite for advance rank or pilot training. And last, not but not least, the girls sure go for those pilot's wings! "Winning Your Wings" is also notable for glimpses inside the relatively rare prewar vintage B-17s used to film some of the in-flight sequences. "This film is over 60 years old, but by the end, Jimmy Stewart had me ready to sign up!" Zeno

* B-17F E&M Mechanic's Instructions Manual: 506 pages with color illustrations This manual is known as the "B-17 Bible" for good reason. Mechanics and ground crew used it every day for servicing and assembly of the big Flying Fortress. Armaments, engines, instruments, electrical systems, bomb loading, fuselage assembly, landing gear -- that's just a small portion of what is covered in over 500 pages of charts, illustrations, tables and detailed instructions. This is an indispensable resource for B-17 fans, but it's also an absorbing way for any World War II aviation fan to get under the skin of a classic World War II heavy bomber to see what made it tick. Great fun with many hours of exploring. And any vet who worked on one of these birds will be instantly transported back in time.

The Douglas A20 Havoc & A-26 Invader DVD Five films on one DVD including two pilot's manuals

*A-26 Invaders Attack! (21:00 Color, 1945) ) New Exclusive production from Military Arts Pictures. Legendary SFP 186 combat cameramen rode along with 416th bomb Group A-26 Invaders during March and April, 1945 with color film loaded in their cameras. The results are some of the most beautiful and dramatic footage to come out of the World War II.You'll see fleets of silver Invaders soaring through towering cumulus clouds before unloading torrents of bombs deep inside the Third Reich. An added bonus is a cache of remarkable still pictures taken by 416th Group (668th, 669th, 670th and 671st Bomb Squadrons) staff photog "Sergeant Cachat" showing A-26s and their crews. (Thanks to Carl Sgamboti at The Douglas A-26C Preservation Project for permission to use these pics.)

* A-20 Havocs in Color with 416th Bomb Group Scrapbook New (20:00 Color film with Black & White stills) Rare color footage of 416th Bomb Group A-20 Havocs (aka Bostons) taken before the Group transition to A-26s in the fall of 1944 -- plus many memorable still photos from Group photog, Sergeant Cachat. Includes over 200 pictures, including dramatic combat shots, detailed photo analysis of target strikes in France, Belgium, and Germany, and some of the most memorable crew photos we've ever seen..

* Flying the A-20 Bomber The Douglas A-20 "Havoc"(20:00 --1943, B&W) Flown as "the Boston" by the Brits on daring hedge hopping low level '"ramrod' raids over the Continent and as the "Havoc" by the US Army Air Force skimming the jungles of SE Asia, this magnificent attack bomber is one of the most under appreciated aircraft of World War II.

* A-26 Flying Tips: The Douglas A-26 "Invader"(1945--B&W, 16:00) WWII, Korea, Indochina, the Bay of Pigs, Laos, Vietnam, the Congo, South America, fire fighting in the Pacific North West -- this fantastic aircraft has seen it all! The most advanced attack plane of World War II. Interesting demonstration of the properties of the Invaders advanced wing design too.

* FLAK (1944, B&W, 17:00) "FLAK" is a fascinating World War II training film for pilots on the theory and practice of evading antiaircraft fire. The specifications, capabilities, and targeting methods of a variety of German and Japanese AAA pieces are discussed as well as both high and low altitude evasions tactics . Well illustrated with charts, animations, and combat film.

* 143 page Douglas A-26 Invader pilot's manual in .pdf file format with photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, flight procedures & more.

* 78 page A-20 Havoc pilot's manual with color and b&w illustrations, charts, flight procedures & more.

Flying the B-24 Liberator DVD Four films including 146 page B-24 pilot's manual

* Pre-flight Inspection of the B-24 (1943, B&W, 30:00) Told from the ground crew's perspective, Crew Chief Kelly & the boys do the check in this inside & out point by point inspection of the big Liberator.

* Flying the B-24D (1943, color, 58:00)The most detailed systems & flight procedures checkouts for the B-24 pilot you will ever see. The B-24 was technologically more advanced than the B-17, but due to rush to production had some early teething problems. Nevertheless, Liberator squadrons flew many outstanding missions, including the epic low level raid on the Romanian oil fields at Ploesti, and crew members were proud of their ship.

* B-24s Get Back! (1945, B&W,16:30) A remarkable film that shows how B-24s overcame incredible battle damage to bring their crews home. Numerous examples of seemingly critically damaged B-24s making it back. This is a fascinating instructional training film with specific techniques to bring your badly crippled ship down safely. Some great B-24 combat footage too.

* Medal of Honor: Ploesti August 1, 1943 (1944, B&W 7:00) On August 1, 1943, specially trained elements of the 8th and 9th Air Forces flying B-24 Liberators based in Benghazi Libya launched a daring low level attack on Ploesti, over 1,200 miles away. They struck and struck hard, but the cost was very high. Unescorted by fighters and coming in literally at tree top level to surprise the enemy, 54 out of 162 of the attacking bombers were lost, along with 540 American air crew. Every member of the attacking force was awarded a medal, including 5 Medals of Honor, the highest decoration awarded by the U. S. military. Of the Medal of Honor recipients, only Col. Leon Johnson, 44th Bomb Group, and Col. Jon "Killer" Kane, 98th Bomb Group, survived the mission. This film features dramatic action that has been excerpted for countless documentaries. This is the original.

* 145 page B-24 "Liberator" pilot's manual in .pdf file format with detailed photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, procedures & more.* "This incredibly informative manual is an essential reference for every B-24 fan!" - Zeno*

The B-25 Mitchell DVD Four films & 94 page B-25 pilot's manual

* How to Fly the North American B-25 "Mitchell" (1944, Black & White, 21:47) Is that Tom Clancy at the controls? Named after Billy Mitchell, the controversial pioneer of heavy bombing, this is the plane that Jimmy Doolittle chose to fly off the deck of carrier Hornet for the dramatic raid on Tokyo. Extremely versatile, the '25 was the US's most produced medium bomber, fighting in all theaters and exported to virtually all Allied air forces. An effective level bomber, it could also be equipped with a multitude of additional machine guns, rockets, and even a 75mm canon, for low level ground attack. The Navy produced this film for use by all services.

* Medium Bombardment & Attack featuring the B-25 (1945, B&W, 20:00) This fascinating film was made to indoctrinate B-25 & A-20 squadrons transitioning from Europe to the Pacific, with a focus on the B-25. Covers operating in the tropics, squadron staff duties, planning missions, converting B-25s for low level ground attack and tactics for land & sea attacks “on the deck.” Some great footage of extremely low level operations!

* Air Operations Lae-Salamaua (1944, B&W, 47:42) covers a key battle of the oft overlooked 1943 New Guinea campaign in the South Pacific. General Douglas MacArthur and his staff put together a brilliant combined arms strategy that utilized Air Power as a key element to leap frog over rugged jungle terrain and isolate and destroy Japanese strongholds. . In this almost impassable terrain, that made transport of heavy guns slow and difficult, air power functioned as "flying artillery." You'll see spectacular in cockpit views of B-25 Mitchell medium bombers making strafing runs on Japanese bases at tree top level as well as some of the first ever "on the deck" tail gunner views of delayed action and "para frag" bombs dropping & exploding right behind the hedge hopping Mitchells. Some nice A-20, B-24 & P-38 action footage too!

* Winged Artillery (1944 color 25:00) Nine 75mm canon firing B-25Gs of the 48th Bomb Squadron, 7AAF, based on Apamama in the Gilbert Islands, conduct a hair raising tree top level strike on the Japanese air base on Mille. Features amazingly well preserved color footage of base construction and daily life on Apamma and Tarawa.

* A 94 page North American B-25 pilot's manual in .pdf file format with detailed photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, procedures & more.

The Martin B-26 Marauder DVD Four films including 106 page B-26 pilot's manual

* White Tailed Marauders: The 323rd Bomb Group and their B-26s (1945, Color, New, 12:00) Exclusive Production Rare color film of B-26 Marauders in action in the Spring of 1945. See the 453rd, 454th, 455th, and 455th Bomb Squadrons operating against Germany from their base in France. All color footage really brings this bygone era startlingly back to life. A must for Marauder fans everywhere.

* How to Fly the Martin B-26 "Marauder" (1944, B&W, 47:42) This video is highly recommended, combining Hollywood drama with great attention to detail. That's "Peter Gunn" in the right seat. Although rookie pilots found her tricky to handle during take off and landing because of her abrupt stall , the B-26 was liked and respected by more experienced air crew. Appropriately called "the Marauder," the high speed, good bomb load, and durability of this bomber made it well suited for low & medium level raids over Europe and the Pacific.

* The Rear Gunner(1943, B&W, 24:00) Starring Lt. Ronald Reagan and Lt. Burgess Meredith, follows "PeeWee" Williams through gunnery school and into battle in this vintage WWII information film produced for the Army Air Corps. A seldom seen look inside an actual World War II bomber gunnery school featuring a wide variety of methods for increasing shooting accuracy and weapons proficiency.

* Building a Bomber: The B-26 (1945, B&W 20:00) See production of a B-26 from metal casting through final assembly.

* 105 page Martin B-26 Marauder pilot's manual in .pdf file format with photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, procedures & more.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress DVD Volume 1 Six films including 94 page B-29 pilot's manual

* Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" Flight Procedures and Combat Crew Functioning (1944, B&W,36:17) This is a thorough pilot's view introduction to the premier bomber of World War II. Faster than a Zero, the peak of piston engine technology, with remote controlled gun turrets and a pressurized cabin, the Superfortress was the prime instrument in the Air Corp's very long range attack on the Japanese home islands. Stalin was so impressed with this plane that he ordered the Tupolev bureau to copy interned B-29s exactly. Over 1,000 of these "Tu4" clones formed the core of the Soviet Air Force during the early years of the cold war.

* The Last Bomb (1945, color, 37:00) "The Last Bomb" vividly documents one of the almost forgotten chapters of World War II: the extreme long range B-29 bombing raids on Japan. Launched from hard won Pacific islands, these missions were over 3,000 miles round trip and could take 12 hours or more to complete. You'll also see the huge B-29 bases that were carved out on Guam, Tinian and Saipan. This rare late war color film, shot by combat camera men, documents all aspects of a XXI Bomber Command long distance daylight strike carried out at just 12,000' (!) on Tokyo in 1945. The mission is covered from initial planning stage by General Curtis LeMay and his staff, through fighter action and "bombs away" over target, to final touch down. As an added bonus, there's plenty of spectacular gun camera footage taken by escorting P-51 Mustangs ranging over southern Japan seeking targets of opportunity in the air and on the deck. These Mustang sorties were some of the longest and riskiest missions undertaken by any fighters during World War II. Just imagine -- flying thousands of miles over trackless ocean in a single en gin ship to take on the enemy over their own territory!

* Saipan Superforts color Exclusive! Newly discovered color footage of Saipan's 73rd Bomb Wing. Pulse pounding B-29 action plus memorable pin up nose art.

* Air War Against Japan: XXI Bomber Command A concise history of XXI Bomber Command Bomber Command's strategic B-29 campaign against the Japanese home islands. Both day and night B-29 actions.

* B-29s Over Dixie (1944, B&W 20:00) A fascinating look inside the huge B-29 production facility built from scratch in Marrietta, Georgia. Includes detailed views of revolutionary new production techniques, assembly line work, and the training and care of thousands of new workers. The Georgia operation was much more than a manufacturing plant, it involved the creation of a complex community in an amazingly short time. This film is a tribute to the massive American war effort that was an essential element in the victory of the Allies.

* Target Invisible (1945, B&W 8:00) Remarkable documentary on how air bourne radar was used for navigation and bombing on B-29 night strikes against Japan. Rare footage of radar in action on an actual Super Fortress mission. This story was so highly classified, it couldn't be told to the American people until after Japan surrendered.

Boeing B-29 Superforts Go to War DVD- Volume 2 Four films & two B-29 manuals

* B-29s Over North Korea: The 19th Bomb Group Attacks Bridges Near Sinanju plus 19th BG Nose Art Color Scrap Book (B&W & Color, 1950, 22:00) Exclusive release from Military Arts Pictures. We created this video from a recently released reel of silent, raw and unedited and undocumented footage shot by the US Air Force in Korea in August-September, 1950, apparently intended for a documentary that was never released. The highlight of the film shows an early morning briefing for 19th Bomb Group (28th, 30th and 98th Bomb Squadrons) at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. Reminiscent a scene from the World War 2 classic "Target for Today," the briefing is for mission against the all important rail bridges near Sinaju Station, North Korea and the port of Nampo, as part of the preparation for the Inchon landings and the breakout from the Pusan perimeter. (The film also has incidental footage taken of B-29s from the 307th Bomb Group, "Square Y.") Through careful research, we've been able to reconstruct the briefing and the mission, including target footage taken at the time, along with corresponding satellite photos showing the same locations today. And as a special bonus, we've added "19th BG Color Nose Art Scrap Book," a collection of remarkable Kodachrome slides taken of 19th BG B-29s by SSgt. George J. Amthor, an armorer with the 19th BG, 30th Squadron, at Kadena in 1950-51. Footage of the heroic and very costly B-29 operations in Korea is extremely rare, so we are very pleased to release this new documentary.

* The Last Bomb Outtakes Reel (Color 1945, 23:00) Exclusive from Military Arts Pictures. From the vaults of the National Archives comes a newly discovered reel of outtakes, expanded scenes, and new footage from the Academy Award winning World War 2 B-29 classic, "The Last Bomb." Includes never before seen footage showing an B-29 engine repair facility on Saipan, expanded scenes showing General Curtis Le May and XX Bomber command planning a mission to Tokyo, inside the cockpit photos from an actual B-29 mission and more. (Inside the aircraft shots in the theatrical release of "The Last Bomb" are all recreations shot in a Hollywood studio.) The good news for the B-29 fans is that almost all of the footage on this reel is in better condition than the best surviving copies of the theatrical release and we've added much more realistic sound effects taken from actual B-29s,P-51s and 50 cals. machine guns. And there's a big bonus for fighter fans. The section of the original film that shows P-51 Mustang squadrons ranging over the Japanese mainland seeking targets of opportunity is expanded and in very good condition, yielding some of the most exciting color gun camera footage we have seen from World War 2.

* Birth of the B-29 (1944, B&W, 20:00) This documentary was produced during World War 2 to introduce the American public to the fabulous new Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The film shows how the war against Japan necessitated the development of a super long range bomber that could strike the Japanese Empire from distant bases in Japan, India, and the Marianas Islands. A highlight of the film focuses on a tour of a giant B-29 plant, showing all aspects of production, including the extensive use of sub assemblies that were manufactured elsewhere, using the worlds biggest flow chart to achieve high precision and amazing output.

* Air Strikes Against Japan (1950, B&W 25:00) This documentary was produced after the War using archival footage, complimented with additional maps and graphics. It gives a clear overall picture of the Allied air offensive against the Japanese home islands. While the video focuses on the deployment and use of the revolutionary B-29 Superfortress, you'll see much more, including Jimmy Doolittle's inspiring raid on Tokyo and rare late War footage of carrier based strikes against the Japanese mainland. A good overview of an under reported aspect of World War 2 Air combat operations.

* How NOT to Fly the B-29: A file of recent accident cases presented for study and discussion. Vol 1, Number 2 1945 12 pages in Adobe Acrobat .pdf file format. This neat little booklet is part of a series that was produced by the Army Air Corps to alert pilots to the causes and possible solutions for recent stateside B-29 accidents. Five actual case studies are discussed in detail, along with a review by a panel of experts on how each mishap might have been avoided or handled better.

* B-29 Pilots' and Flight Engineers' Training manual (51-126-6) 12/15/1945 194 pages with color highlights in Adobe Acrobat .pdf file format. This is the final and definitive flight manual for the B-29 produced during World War 2. Extensive documentation includes charts, diagrams and performance index.

* Flight Operating Instructions USAF Model YB-29J Aircraft (Basis for the RB-29J reconnaissance Aircraft) 12/15/1950 125 pages with color highlights. The YB-29J was a short series of 6 aircraft produced by Boeing to test upgraded engines and other enhancements designed to improve B-29 performance and reliability. Although this version wasn't rolled out into full production, four of these test planes were converted to fast and high flying RB-29J reconnaissance aircraft that were used extensively during the Korean War. This edition of the B-29 manual was probably produced for those few crews, making it very rare. Extensive documentation includes charts, diagrams and performance index.

The US Navy Bombers DVD 5 US Navy films & 66 page Douglas SBD3 "Dauntless" dive bomber pilot's manual

* Black Cat PBY (1945, B&W 20:00) Exclusive restoration What was that mysterious plane swooping down out of the night sky on unsuspecting Japanese ships and bases, hundreds of miles from any known American airstrip? The answer was, as you'll see in this good humored, affectionate film, the slow, ungainly, but deadly "Black Cat" PBY. Originally designed primarily as a reconnaissance and antisubmarine amphibious patrol plane, the big twin engined Catalina's super long range, all weather capability, capacity to lug both bombs and radar, ability to loiter for hours hunting convoys and operate from anywhere in the watery PTO, made it an ideal naval night attack bomber. One of the least known stories of the war in the Pacific, these black painted PBY "VPB" ('Patrol Bombing") squadrons spread destruction and chaos far out of proportion to their relatively small numbers. A frequent tactic was to cut their engines and float in almost silently on their prey. As this film shows, night ops were very risky, but the rewards could be huge, including the sinking of a 6,000 ton Katori class light cruiser by Lt. William B Sumpler, of VPB-33, for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.

* Flying the TBF Avenger(1943, B&W, 23:30) The Grumman TBF/TBM "Avenger" Torpedo Bomber. This was Dubya's Dad's WWII ride. The Avenger was a tough and accurate bomber that had a reputation for taking punishment and bringing it's crew home. Relatively easy to fly, the big Avenger was surprisingly nimble. The TBF could pack up to 500 bombs or one Mk1 13-2 torpedo, and with all three tanks topped up with 335 gallons of fuel, could strike targets up to 260 miles away. More than 7,500 TBF/TBM Avengers were produced in 20 variants, which fought with distinction in most major naval battles in the Pacific and was well liked by the Royal Navy.

* 117 page GrummanTBF/TBM pilot's manual

* The Brewster SB2A-4 "Buccaneer" Scout/Dive Bomber (1943, B&W, 17:00) Was it really "the worst aircraft of World War II?" See the video and judge for yourself! (Look for the little clues in the narration.) Though this training film goes out of it's way to sing the Buccaneers praises, her flaws are all too obvious if you watch and listen carefully. Even so, many Marine trainee pilots learned the ropes of dive bombing in the big Brewster.

* Introduction to Dive Bombing (1943, B&W, 24:00) Before you leave the deck in that Dauntless, you'd better learn how to dive bomb properly. The US Navy pioneered dive bombing techniques after World War I and it shows in this informative film, produced by the Department of the Navy in 1943. You'll learn everything from the basic theory of dive bombing to how to put your egg on a real target, including ships at sea.

* Deploying Aerial Mines (1944, B&W, 16:34) New This film describes World War II aerial mine warfare at sea,. You'll learn the basics of mine laying, including strategy and tactics. You'll also find out how mines were fused and armed to be ready for deployment, along with detailed diagrams of their inner workings. You'll see rare footage of actual aerial mine laying missions by PBJs in the Pacific. Although seldom dealt with in general histories of World War II, aerial mines were often used with deadly effect by both Axis and Allies

* 66 page Douglas SBD3 "Dauntless" dive bomber pilot's manual

US Bombers Go to War DVD -- 7 films

* Target Tokyo (1944, B&W, 22:00) Follow the men of the 21st Bomber Command and their B-29 Super Fortresses from their training base in Grand Island, Nebraska, to the newly built air base at Saipan and right into the first 3,000 mile raid on Tokyo. Great up close and personal footage of the lives of air & ground crews, along with rare B-29 combat film shot on that first big raid on the Nakajima aircraft plant. Features cameos of crew members of the famous B-17 "Memphis Belle," who signed up for another tour of duty to fly B-29s against Japan. Narrated by Ronald Reagan.

* Medal of Honor: Ploesti August 1, 1943 (1944, Black & White, 7:00) On August 1, 1943, specially trained elements of the 8th and 9th Air Forces flying B-24 Liberators based in Benghazi Libya launched a daring low level attack on Ploesti, over 1,200 miles away. They struck and struck hard, but the cost was very high. Unescorted by fighters and coming in literally at tree top level to surprise the enemy, 54 out of 162 of the attacking bombers were lost, along with 540 American air crew. Every member of the attacking force was awarded a medal, including 5 Medals of Honor, the highest decoration awarded by the U. S. military. Of the Medal of Honor recipients, only Col. Leon Johnson, 44th Bomb Group, and Col. Jon "Killer" Kane, 98th Bomb Group, survived the mission. This film features dramatic action that has been excerpted for countless documentaries. This is the original.

* Air Siege Ploesti : March to August 1944 (1945, Black & White,19:30) The capture of Foggia in Italy in 1944 provided the 15th Air Force with a base to launch a new series of air attacks on Ploesti. This time, B-17s and B-24s attacked with fighter escort at high altitude. Losses were heavy, with over 1,800 air crew lost to FLAK and enemy fighters. Accuracy suffered when smoke pots were used to obscure the target, so P-38s were used as dive bombers to penetrate the defenses. Soon P-51s helped to achieve total air superiority. By the fall of 1944, 90% of Romanies oil production was knocked out. Narrated by Ronald Reagan.

* Bombers Over North Africa (1942 Black & White 22:00) This is a rare look at early war US Air Operations in North Africa. B-25 and B-17 bombers of the 321st and 97th Bomb Group help cut off Rommel's retreat from Tunisia. Part of the "North West African Strategic Air Force," these groups were initially tasked with preventing men and material from reaching the Afrika Korps, and later with preventing them from escaping. The missions for the day of this film were to strike from bases in Algeria at the junction at Manouba, near Tunis, and the air field at Sidi Ahmed, near Bizerte, where a large number of extremely valuable JU 52 transports were based, a key element in German evacuation plans. (Ironically, the 321st would soon occupy Sidi Ahmed as their new base for the Sicilian campaign.) The film features an introduction by the theater commander, then 4 star General, Dwight Eisenhower and an afterword by Air Operations Commanding General "Jimmy" Doolittle. Perhaps most memorably, this film is notable for it's extended "up close and personal" look at the men of the 97th & 321st BGs. You'll see real pre mission and after action debriefing sessions with the men who flew them, including a B-17 crew's account of an FW 190 shoot down and the water ditching of a heavily damaged B-25.

* Conquest by Air (1946, B&W, 20:00) This is an excellent summary of the strategic air campaign in Europe. Produced right after the war, it benefits from captured enemy evaluations of allied bombing and after action photos of important targets. You'll also hear testimony form German leadership on the effects of the bombing on their war effort. Extensive footage of before and after bomb damage on oil refineries, tank production factories, as well as gun camera footage of air-to-ground attacks. Plenty of B-17 & B-24 air combat action too!

* Mission Accomplished: The Story of the Flying Fortress (1942, B&W, 11:00) On August 17, 1942 eighteen B-17Es from the 97th Heavy Bombardment Group, Eighth Bomber Command (later Eighth Air Force) from Graft on Underwood, performed the first daylight raid over Northern Europe by US heavy bombers. Escorted by RAF Spit Vs & IXs, 6 bombers ran a diversion along the French coast, while 12 more Fortresses attacked the primary target., the important rail yards at Sotteville, France, near Rouen. This mission was a crucial first step in establishing the efficacy of American daylight precision bombing doctrine. Success of the raid was vital so that VIA Bomber Command CO Gen. Ira C. Eaker went along for the ride in B-17E "Yankee Doodle. Though small in scale, the raid was a success, with precision hits on important rail assets, with only two Fortresses sustaining minor damage. Lucky for us, combat cameramen recorded this historic action from briefing through "bombs away!">

* Doolittle Strikes Japan! (1943, B&W, 5:00) Actual footage from Jimmy Doolittle's daring raid on Japan. See B-25 Medium Bombers take off from the storm tossed deck of the carrier Hornet Truly classic footage.

The B-24 Liberators Go to War DVD - 4 Films

* The 98th Bomb Group: Liberators Over Africa (1943, B&W, 27:00) Exclusive production. This recently discovered footage shows Medal of Honor winner Col. John R. "Killer " Kane and the men of the 98th Bomb Group in the Summer of 1943, shortly before the heroic, costly Ploesti mission, at their desert base in Benghasi/Benina, Libya. You'll see legendary B-24s like "The Vulgar Virgin," "The Sandman," and "War Cloud." Sadly, several of these ships were filmed here for the last time before they were lost over Romania. There's an unexpected gem too. Soon after the Axis surrender in Tunisia, 9th combat cameraman Jim Bray hitched a ride on a B-24 and filmed all the major North African targets the 98th had hit from the air, from El Alemein to Tunis. You'll see Tobruk, Tripoli, Benghazi, Bizerte and more from the air, the way pilots and crew saw them during the Desert War. And the big Liberator goes in low too so you can take in sunken warships, clamoring liberty ships unloading their cargoes, and bombed out harbors that have long since been rebuilt. This is a priceless time capsule.

* Liberators Over Europe, 1942-45 (1945, B&W, 22:00)A remarkable film produced by the Eighth Air Force from combat camera footage showing B-24s in action over Europe. From Ploesti to Berlin, you'll discover memorable Liberator scenes not found anywhere else, including pulse pounding air attacks. You'll see B-24 crews up close too, along with their ships.

* 1st Air Division Bombing Highlights 1944-45 (1945, B&W 28:00) Another priceless film produced by the 8th Air Force to document the War as it happened. During the last six month of the conflict in the ETO, ball turret gunners were given 16mm cameras and told to film what they saw on bombing missions over the Third Reich. Most documentaries concentrate on what happens leading up to and then after the bombs drop.This one shows what happened in between. You'll see raids on Berlin, Luneberg, the U-Boat pens at Bremen, Muenster, Ingolstadt, Regensburg, and many more cities, including the only known footage of the controversial bombing of Dresden on Feb 14th & 15th, 1945. These scenes of concentrated destruction, shot from bombing altitude, are by turns fascinating and horrific. There are also some unflinching shots of US bombers going down. This film was not shown on the home front. The video transfer was taken from the only surviving copy of this important document and is often grainy, but still watchable. If you are serious about educating yourself about World War II bombing as it happened, you should to see this film.

Bonus film Captured Luftwaffe film shows the downing of 9 US bombers one at a time by FW 190 fighters. You may have seen snippets of this gun camera film before in documentaries. This is the original source.

The Operation Titanic DVD: Three unique films New All three films with digital sound and video restoration

* Operation Titanic: Shuttle Bombing Missions to Russia (1944, B&W, 40:00) The problem: key Axis strategic assets were located so deep in Eastern Europe that they either could not be reached by Allied bombers or involved a lengthy round trip that exposed aircraft to heavy German attacks twice. The Russians were closer to these targets, but they were committed to tactical air support and lacked strategic bombers. The solution was "Operation Titanic," aka "Operation Frantic" one of the most audacious and least known strategic operations of the war. During the Tehran Conference, 27 November - 2 December 1943, the Americans, British and Russians hammered out plans for a "shuttle bombing" campaign. This film tells that story

U.S. 15 Air Force bombers and fighters based in Italy would bomb targets in the East, land in Russia, refuel & rearm, and then hit another target on the way back. 8th Air Force bombers based in the UK did the same. The Soviets provided three bases in the Ukraine; heavy bombers at Poltava and Mirgorod and the fighters at Piryatin. The US provided material to substantially upgrade them. The Fifteenth Air Force flew its first mission on 2 June 1944 when 130 B-17 Flying Fortresses, escorted by 70 P-51 Mustangs, bombed the rail yards at Debreczen, Hungary. The Eighth Air Force flew its first mission on 21 June when 123 B-17s bombed the Schwartzhelde synthetic oil plant at Ruhland, south of Berlin and 21 attacked the Elsterwerda industrial area. But, unknown to the Americans, a Luftwaffe He-177 followed the B-17s to the Russian base at Poltava and after midnight Luftwaffe aircraft attacked and destroyed 43 B-17s and damage 26.

Frantic flights continued into September with success, but the June 21st attack by the Luftwaffe on Poltava had revealed the Achilles heal of the operation. The Soviets lacked radar working with an organized air defense with night fighters to defend the bases, and they would not turn that role over to the Americans. That made the operation too risky and it was discontinued. But, despite some prickly spots, it marked the high point of East-West direct co-operation during World War II. In "Operation Titanic" you'll see unique scenes of Russian and American fliers and crews working together, shoulder to shoulder, life at their "secret bases," along with exciting air action on the shuttle missions. After the War, this film was buried and forgotten during the Cold War. Directors who worked on films sympathetic to the Soviets (though this is no "Mission to Moscow") could be black listed and Russians who had close contacts with Americans during the War often ended up in the Gulag for that reason alone. So, nobody had much motivation to share their memories. We're lucky that "Operation Titanic" has been resurrected to tell this remarkable story.

* Hochfrequenz Kriegsfurung (High Frequency Warfare) (1944, B&W, 25:00, In German) We get many requests for World War II military films produced by the Axis, but other than a few newsreels, they are hard to find. We released "Sky Blitz" recently; "High Frequency Warfare" is our second. Developed by the Luftwaffe, this film showed the German people how high frequency signals were used to in radio direction finding, signals jamming and radar detection. An attacking British bomber force is identified, their navigation signals are jammed, and fighters are vectored to intercept. Radar is employed to protect convoys in the Mediterranean, and radar jamming is used to cover the "Channel Dash" of the Battle cruisers Scharnhorst & Gneisenau during their escape from Brest. You'll see a working Luftwaffe air defense control room and contemporary equipment like Lichtenstein airborne radar. Most of the participants appear to be non actors. "I don't speak German, but I found it pretty easy to follow the plot. Seeing this film is like having a look inside another world." Zeno

* Low Level Photo Reconnaissance of Bomb Damage, Germany, May 9, 1945 (1945, B&W, 20:00) On May 9, 1945,the day after the German surrender, a B-17G of the 652 BS (Heavy Reconnaissance), 25th BG was dispatched on a far ranging mission to document bomb damage on key targets all over Germany from very low altitudes that would have been impossible during hostilities. These were special Flying Fortresses that were stripped of most armament and stuffed with gas so they could fly 12 hour weather missions over the North Atlantic. On this day, they carried 8th Combat Camera Unit cameramen with 16mm cameras who photographed what they saw through the Big B-17's perspex nose and the open waist gunner positions. You'll see remnants of the freak spring snow storm that fell the day before on the day of the end of the war in the ETO, surrounding partially bombed out factories near Weimer and Plauen and the almost intact Luftwaffe base at Bernburg, near the Czech border, along with many other locations. You can only guess at what was going through the heads of the men taking these pictures the day after their war ended and the German civilians who saw them fly overhead. A unique record.

Target for Today DVD

* Target for Today (Documentary 1943, B&W, 91:00) This is the classic World War II feature length documentary detailing a "maximum effort" daylight bombing mission deep into Germany. There are no actors in "Target For Today". This film was shot on location under combat conditions and features the officers and men of the 8th Air Force going about their deadly business. All aspects of an actual major raid in 1943, from early planning through final touch down and crew debriefings, are covered in this very thorough account. Anklam. Danzig and the FW-190 plant at Marienburg are the targets hit. Although inflating the strategic bombing campaign's effectiveness through 1943, this is no sugar coated propaganda film. Heavy losses and the bomber crew's justifiable trepidation about making unescorted daylight deep penetration raids on heavily defended targets in Germany are graphically portrayed. Over 1 and 1/2 hours of engrossing World War II footage.

Battle of Britain & Target for Tonight DVD with Vickers Wellington & Spit V Pilots Manuals

* The Battle of Britain (Documentary 1943, B&W, 52:00) Produced by Academy Award Winner Frank Capra, "The Battle of Britain" is a wartime documentary with the limitations and virtues that that implies. German air losses are highly exaggerated, on the order of two to three times their actual numbers. The key roll of the (at the time) still highly secret British radar early warning system and British Intelligence's ability to read the Germans "enigma" code were not revealed until years after the war. But this film is still a dramatic window on the times and features excellent wartime footage (much of it not to be found anywhere else) and provides an illuminating glimpse of how the Allies represented the Battle during the war.The Battle of Britain was the first battle in history fought entirely in the air to decide the fate of a major strategic campaign. Before the battle, Hitler was master of Europe, leading what appeared to be an unstoppable war machine in an unbroken string of victories. The French Army lay vanquished and the British Army was a mere shell of it's former self, having abandoned virtually all of it's modern equipment on the beaches of Dunkirk. The Wehrmacht was poised on the coast of France, rushing ahead with its preparations for Operation "Sea Lion," the invasion of England. Only one barrier stood between Germany and the shores of England: the Royal Air Force. The Luftwaffe could keep the Royal Navy at bay and protect cumbersome barges that would ferry the German army across the narrow waters of the channel only if the Luftwaffe could establish air superiority first . The RAF was the only effective fighting force that the British had left. Their epic encounter with the Luftwaffe marked a major tuning point in the war. Operation Sea Lion was canceled, Britain gained an invaluable breather, and Hitler turned his attention instead to Russia.

* Target for Tonight (Documentary 1941, B&W, 50:00) RAF Bomber Command in a Night Action Target for Tonight" follows the crew "F for Freddie, " a Vicker's Wellington medium bomber (Millerton Station, Group 33), through an entire low level night mission attacking an oil storage depot at a rail yard.. Notice how the film highlights the participation of not only servicemen from all classes from around the British Iles, but also Canadians and a navigator that sounds a lot like an American RAF volunteer.The film exemplifies the understatement, dry humour, and "business as usual" approach typical of British information films of the period, along with a clear "get the job done" attitude.

* 50 page Vicker's Wellington pilot's manual in pdf file format with photos, detailed systems diagrams, performance charts, procedures & more. Covers Wellington III, X, Xi, XII, XIII, & XIV

* 30 Page Spitfire V (A,B &C) Pilot's Notes in pdf file format with photossystems diagrams, performance information, procedures & more. Also covers Seafire IB,IIC & III

Clark Gable's Combat America (1943 color 65:00)

"Combat America" was produced, written, directed, and narrated by Clark Gable while he was on assignment with the 8th Air Force, developing a gunnery training film. Though it packs plenty of very exciting color combat footage and doesn't flinch in showing high cost of the war in the air, in many ways, it's as much a warm home movie as a hard bitten, wartime "information" film. Gable chronicles the experiences of the men of the 351st Bombardment group, flying from the cool early morning mists of Colorado to the frigid skies over Germany. His affection and admiration for these men comes through loud and clear. This film is like a Kodachrome album out of the past, giving us snapshots of life on a front line American bomber base in the U.K. in 1943.

All pilot's manuals are in Adobe Acrobat file format and are viewable on any computer equipped with a DVD player.