- Title: V-2378
- Summary: MEMPHIS BELLE: STORY OF A FLYING FORTRESS: COLOR WWII FOOTAGE. CAMERA FOLLOWS PILOT & CREW OF "MEMPHIS BELLE" B-17 FLYING FORTRESS ON ITS 25TH & FINAL BOMBING MISSION OVER GERMANY.
- Description:01:10:17 - "ALL AERIAL COMBAT FILM WAS EXPOSED DURING AIR BATTLES OVER ENEMY TERRITORY" TITLE SUPER-IMPOSED OVER 8TH ARMY AIR FORCE ARM PATCH LOGO 01:10:29 - VIEW OF FENCE ENCLOSURE AT PICTURESQUE ENGLISH FARM. PAN FARM BUILDINGS, BARN. 01:10:37 - BRITISH CASTLE-LIKE CHURCH SEEN IN DISTANCE BETWEEN SHRUBS 01:10:47 - CU VIEW CHURCH 01:10:57 - PAN FARM BUILDINGS TO HUGE B-17 BOMBERS PARKED IN FIELD BY FARM. 01:11:07 - CU FRONTAL VIEW B-17 FLYING FORTRESS 01:11:12 - GROUND CREWMEN WORKING ON ENGINES OF BOMBER. 01:11:22 - MONTAGE VARIOUS ANGLE VIEWS OF B-17S AMID FIELDS OF WHEAT CROPS. 01:11:56 - VARIOUS SHOTS GROUND CREWMEN POLISHING, EXAMINING, GASSING UP B-17s 01:12:06 - PAN HUGE BOMBS PILED ON FIELD. SMALLER ONES ON RACKS AS FAR AS EYE CAN SEE. 01:12:21 - MEN USE BLOCK & TACKLE TO LIFT HEAVY BOMB 01:12:21 - CU MOVING BOMB TOWARDS CAMERA. PUSHING IT ALONG. LAYING ATOP PILE OF OTHER HUGE BOMBS. 01:12:51 - JEEP PULLS FLAT-BED BOMB RACK WITH SEVERAL GIS SEATED ON BOMBS. ANOTHER CREW SITS ON BOMBS AS ONE IN FRONT PLAYS HARMONICA. 01:13:03 - CU HARMONICA PLAYER 01:13:08 - JEEP WITH BOMBS & MEN APPROACH B-17 FOLLOWED BY OTHER VEHICLES 01:13:18 - CU GI INSTALLS DETONATOR TO TIP OF HUGE BOMB. 01:13:23 - CU GI INSTALLS SMALL PROPELLER TO BACK END OF BOMB. 01:13:31 - PILOTS, BOMBARDIERS, NAVIGATORS ENTERING BRIEFING ROOM. TAKE THEIR PLACES. 01:13:41 - GROUP COMMANDER COL. STANLEY RAYS STEPS UP TO TARGET MAP AS PLANE CREWS LEARN WHERE THEY ARE GOING. 01:13:51 - CU BOMBER CREWS LISTEN ATTENTIVELY, SOLEMNLY. 01:14:01 - COL. RAYS USES POINTER ON MAP. 01:14:06 - VARIOUS SHOTS PILOTS TAKING NOTES. SET THEIR WRIST WATCHES. 01:14:34 - AIRMEN KNEEL BEFORE PRIEST WHO GIVES THEM BLESSING. 01:14:51 - GROUND CREWMEN ROLL BOMBS UNDER BOMB BAYS. 01:15:01 - CREW OF THE "MEMPHIS BELLE" ARRIVE ALL PILED ONTO ONE JEEP. GET OUT OF JEEP & GATHER IN FRONT OF B-17. 01:15:11 - CAPTAIN BRIEFS THEM. 01:15:21 - CREW CLIMBS INTO PLANE. 01:15:31 - CU PROP REVS UP. WIND FLATTENS HIGH GRASS. 01:15:41 - CU PAN OF ENGINES AS THEY REV UP. 01:15:51 - PAN "24 BOMBS" & PIN-UP GIRL "MEMPHIS BELLE". 01:16:01 - PAN FARM BUILDINGS TO B-17s REVVING FOR TAKE-OFF. 01:16:50 - VARIOUS VIEWS NUMEROUS B-17s TAXIING ONTO RUNWAY 01:17:18 - CU LOGOS & CARTOON CHARACTERS PAINTED ON FUSELAGES: "HITLER'S GREMLIN" (HITLER CARTOON CHARACTER), "ELNO-GAL", "ROYAL FLUSH", "OLD BILL", "DESPERATE JOURNEY" (ALL WITH DESCRIPTIVE CARTOONS). 01:18:03 - MONTAGE VARIOUS VIEWS B-17s TAKING OFF AT PRECISE INTERVALS. 01:18:48 - CU LANDING GEAR LIFTING OFF GROUND. 01:18:56 - CU WHEELS OF MEMPHIS BELLE LIFT OFF GROUND, FOLD UNDER PLANE 01:19:03 - AERIAL VIEW ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE. VARIOUS VIEWS FARM LANDS, AIRFIELDS. POV "MEMPHIS BELLE". SPINNING PROP IN FRGD. 01:19:50 - MONTAGE SQUADRONS & INDIVIDUAL B-17s IN FLIGHT 01:20:44 - CU PILOT CAPTAIN ROBERT MORGAN, CO-PILOT CAPTAIN JIM VERI, RADIO OPERATOR & GUNNER SGT. BOB HASTEN, NAVIGATOR CAPTAIN CHARLES LEIGHTON, ENGINEER & TOP TURRET GUNNER SGT. HAROLD LOCH AT HIS TURRET GUN, TAIL GUNNER SGT. JOHN QUINLAN, BALL TURRET GUNNER SGT. CECIL SCOTT. 01:21:35 - CU CAPTAIN MORGAN PUTS ON OXYGEN MASK. ORDERS CREW TO DO SAME AS PLANE CLIMBS HIGHER. 01:21:45 - CU SHOTS OF REST OF CREW INCLUDE BOMBARDIER CAPTAIN VINCENT EVANS, WAIST GUNNERS SGT CLARENCE MITCHELL & SGT. NASTAL. 01:22:07 - VARIOUS VIEWS SQUADRONS OF B-17s IN TIGHT FORMATION AS SEEN THROUGH GUNNER'S SIGHT. 01:23:03 - AERIAL VIEW LEAVING COAST OF ENGLAND 01:24:10 - VARIOUS VIEWS BOMBERS TRAILING LONG STREAMS OF VAPOR AS THEY CLIMB HIGHER 01:24:50 - ANIMATED MAP SHOWS TARGET OF SUBMARINE PENS AT WILHELNSHAVEN, GERMANY. INCLUDES HEAVY ANTI-AIRCRAFT PLACEMENTS, PLANES RADAR. ALLIED PLAN TO DIVIDE DEFENSES & WEAKEN HIS OPPOSITION ARE SHOWN 01:28:03 - VARIOUS VIEWS SQUADRONS OF B-17s FLYING ABOVE CLOUDS AS THEY CROSS ENEMY LINES. 01:28:18 - CU PILOT CAPTAIN MORGAN WEARING OXYGEN MASK. PUTS ON STEEL HELMET (LOOKS LIKE DARTH VADER). 01:28:38 - OTHER CREW MEMBERS PREPARE. 01:29:03 - AERIAL VIEW ENEMY COAST WITH INLAND FACTORIES AND ROADS. 01:29:18 - FIRST PUFFS OF FLAK APPEAR. PAN OTHERS CLOSE BY. 01:29:44 - AERIAL DOCKS & SUBMARINE PENS AT WILHELNSHAVEN. SMOKE SCREENS TRYING TO HIDE TARGET. 01:29:54 - THICK FLAK BARRAGE. 01:29:59 - CU BOMBARDIER SETS BOMB SIGHTS. OPENS BOMB BAY DOORS. 01:30:19 - B-17s WITH BOMB BAY DOORS OPEN 01:30:24 - AERIAL VIEW OF TARGET AS SEEN THROUGH BOMB SIGHT. 01:30:49 - WAIST GUNNER FIRING AT ENEMY PLANE. 01:30:59 - OTHER GUNS FIRING AS SEEN FROM ANOTHER PLANE. 01:31:09 - ATTACKING FIGHTER IS SEEN AS BLUR. FLAK BURST NEARBY. B-17 IS HIT. 01:31:47 - CU PILOT LOOKS GROTESQUE WITH HIS HELMET & OXYGEN MASK. 01:31:58 - AERIAL VIEW OF FIRST BOMB AS IT LEAVES BOMB BAY FOLLOWED BY OTHERS "BOMBS AWAY". 01:32:08 - VARIOUS VIEWS BOMBS FALLING OUT OF BOMB BAYS OF B-17s. AERIAL VIEWS BOMBS EXPLODING ON & AROUND TARGET. 01:32:33 - BOMBARDIER GIVES A-OK SIGN WITH FINGERS TO CAMERA 01:32:48 - AERIAL SCENES SMOKE FROM BOMBING RISES FROM TARGET AREA. 01:33:08 - BOMB BAY CLOSING ON BOMBER AS SEEN BY B-17 FLYING BELOW 01:33:18 - BOMBERS TIGHTEN FORMATION 01:33:31 - SIDE GUNNER WITH OXYGEN MASK PREPARES TO FIRE 01:33:41 - MONTAGE GUNNERS FIRING AT ATTACKING NAZI PLANES. CHATTER OVER PA SYSTEMS IS HEARD 01:34:41 - B-17 WITH ENGINE ON FIRE 01:34:51 - B-17 SPINS OUT OF CONTROL, NOSE DIVES 01:35:03 - AERIAL TWO PARACHUTES FLOATING DOWN. 01:35:08 - B-17 FALLING OUT OF SKY AFTER BEING HIT. 01:35:18 - MORE PARACHUTES ARE SPOTTED. 01:35:31 - GERMAN PLANE ATTACKING WITH VOICE OVER OF WAIST GUNNER MITCHELL 01:35:51 - VARIOUS SHOTS GUNNERS FIRING AT ATTACKING NAZI PLANES & CREWMEN CHATTERING OVER INTERCOM 01:36:21 - FLYING FORTRESS TRAILS SMOKE FROM ENGINE. AERIAL B-17 TRAILS SMOKE DRIFTING INTO FLAK BELOW. 01:36:41 - PAN AIRMEN AT HOME BASE HANGING AROUND ON FIELD WAITING FOR RETURNING BOMBERS. AIRMEN PLAY GAMES 01:37:01 - FEMALE WAC SITS ON WALL PEERING SKYWARD THROUGH BINOCULARS 01:37:11 - RETURNING PLANES SPOTTED IN SKY. AIRMAN PEERS THROUGH BINOCULARS. STARTS COUNTING PLANES AS THEY COME IN. 01:37:31 - MEN INSIDE TOWER WITH BINOCULARS TRY TO READ NUMBERS ON PLANES 01:38:03 - PATIENTS PEER OUT OF HOSPITAL WINDOW WITH AMBULANCE PARKED BELOW. 01:38:18 - MEN WATCH PLANES COME IN FOR LANDING. 01:38:28 - AMBULANCE RUSHES OUT TO B-17. AIRMEN WITH HEAD WOUND (BANDAGED HEAD) IS HELPED OUT OF PLANE. 01:38:39 - INJURED AIRMAN TAKEN OUT IN SHOCK WITH INTERNAL INJURIES. PLACED ON STRETCHER. 01:38:49 - WOUNDED AIRMAN WITH SHRAPNEL WOUNDS IS PLACED IN AMBULANCE. 01:39:12 - PILOT WITH SHATTERED LEG RECEIVES TREATMENT AS HE LIES ON GROUND. 01:39:22 - AIRMEN COVER BODY OF DEAD COMRADE ON STRETCHER. 01:39:27 - CU AIRMAN GIVEN BLOOD TRANSFUSION INSIDE PLANE. 01:39:37 - CU GUNNER'S FACE AS HE IS GIVEN TRANSFUSION. MEDIC GIVES HIM PUFF ON CIGARETTE. 01:40:03 - VARIOUS VIEWS OF PLANES AS THEY ARRIVE & ARE COUNTED. B-17 COMES IN FOR LANDING 01:40:33 - PAN #24 B-17 LANDING WITH CHUNK OF TAIL GONE. #25 PLANE HAS MOST OF RUDDER GONE. PLANE #26 COMES IN WITHOUT A SCRATCH. 01:41:00 - #29 B-17 MAKES ROUGH LANDING BECAUSE PILOT IS BADLY HURT. 01:41:10 - MONTAGE SERIOUS DAMAGES ON PLANES. DAMAGED PLANES & CREWMEN POSING. 01:42:27 - MONTAGE DAMAGE ON "OLD BILL". CU MISSING NOSE, GAPING HOLES. 01:42:58 - PAN TO SMILING CHARACTER OF OLD BILL ON FUSELAGE. 01:43:03 - MONTAGE AIRMEN GATHER BY PLANES TO TALK ABOUT MISSION 01:43:33 - THREE MORE RETURNING PLANES IN SKY INCLUDING "MEMPHIS BELLE". 01:43:48 - GROUND AS SEEN FROM LANDING MEMPHIS BELLE. SMILING CREWMEN IN PLANE AS THEY LAND. 01:44:03 - MEMPHIS BELLE COMES IN LOW, PULLS UP BEFORE LANDING 01:44:18 - CU PILOT MORGAN IN COCKPIT. 01:44:23 - CU LANDING GEAR BEING LOWERED. SHADOW OF PLANE ON GROUND. 01:44:33 - CU LANDING GEAR MAKING CONTACT WITH GROUND. 01:44:43 - PAN CROWD OF AIRMEN WAITING 01:44:53 - POV MEMPHIS BELLE WINDOW. 01:45:03 - PILOT WAVES FROM WINDOW. TOP GUNNER SITTING ON TOP OF PLANE WAVES. TWO SIDE GUNNERS BY THEIR MACHINE GUN GESTURES SHOOTING DOWN NAZI PLANE, WAVING AS PLANE COMES TO HALT. 01:45:29 - CREW MEMBER GETS OUT OF PLANE, KISSES GROUND 01:45:34 - CREW MEMBERS CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER OUTSIDE PLANE. 01:45:39 - CAPTAIN MORGAN IS LIFTED HIGH TO PIN-UP GIRL DRAWING OF MEMPHIS BELLE. KISSES HER & PATS HER BEHIND 01:45:48 - AIRMAN PAINTS 25TH & FINAL BOMB (MISSION) ON PLANE. 01:46:03 - BRIGADIER GENERAL HANSEL PINS DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS ON EVERY MEMBER OF CREW. 01:46:18 - LIMO WITH KING & QUEEN OF ENGLAND ARRIVES 01:46:23 - CREW OF MEMPHIS BELLE STAND AT ATTENTION AS KING & QUEEN CONGRATULATES EACH MAN INCLUDING GROUND CREW. 01:47:43 - GENERAL ACKER COMMANDER OF 8TH AIR FORCE & GENERAL DEBIS COMMANDER OF EUROPEAN THEATER ARRIVE & ORDER MEN TO RETURN TO AMERICA 01:48:29 - "MEMPHIS BELLE" TAKES OFF FOR HOME.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1944
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1940s
- File Name: V-2378