Hello All --
You are invited to drop by Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In (
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com) and catch our three latest World War II aviation features for free online video viewing. This month "At the Matinee," we're showing an exciting, action packed first run debut, "Air Operations Lae-Salamaua," and the return of two favorites, "Thunderbolt," and "Target Tokyo."
"Air Operations Lae-Salamaua" 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. While tough Australian jungle fighters spearheaded the frontal ground assault, American paratroopers accompanied by Aussie light artillery volunteers dropped on, seized & secured a Japanese air base behind enemy lines so that an Aussie division could be ferried in on C-47s and attack the enemy from the rear.. This film effectively uses maps & illustrations to show the strategy and tactics used in this this classic battle. 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 bomber 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!
"Thunderbolt!" -- Chronicles the exploits of the P-47 Thunderbolt pilots of the "Fighting Gamenoodles" of the 65th Fighter squadron, 57th Fighter Group. This fine wartime documentary was directed by Lt. Col. William Wyler (Ben-Hur, The Best Years of Our Lives) and Capt. John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape). Based on the island of Corsica off the northwest coast of the Italian boot, they flew from behind the enemy's flank. As part of "Operation Strangle," they continuously attacked highways, bridges, ammo dumps, railroads and just about anything that moved to choke off the flow of supplies to the Axis front line. This film not only features one-of-a-kind P-47 combat footage, it also shows day-to-day life on a MTO forward air base, including vintage pilot slang.
"Target Tokyo" 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. This film features stunning black & white photography that is reminiscent of the great wartime Life Magazine still photo documentaries. Narrated by Ronald Reagan..
If you haven't stopped by Zeno's Drive-In before, we also feature 1940-45 vintage WWII Army & Navy films on how to fly the F4U, F6F, P-38, P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51, P-61, TBF/TBM, AT-6/SNJ, B-17, B-24, B-25, A-20, A-26, B-26, B-29, Stearman N2S and a different WWII documentaries every month "At the Matinee."
That's over 14 hours of rockin' props for free viewing over the internet. See detailed charts, diagrams, and interior photos from original WWII pilot's manuals too. Finally, we just revised, expanded, and updated our "Control Tower" links page, which has the largest collection of World War II Aviation links on the 'net
So drop your flaps & drop in!
That's
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.comZeno
