THE MEMPHIS BELLE

Year Published: 1943

Format: 16mm

Description: This color, silent film consists of raw combat footage of the Eighth Air Force, 91st Bombing Group, during 1943 over the skies of Europe. It was shot by the Photographic Division of the Eighth Air Force, and some of the footage in this film can be seen in the 1944 epic documentary "The Memphis Belle" by William Wyler. The 91st Bomb Group (Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Classified as a heavy bombardment group, the 91st operated B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft and was known unofficially as "The Ragged Irregulars" or as "Wray's Ragged Irregulars", after the commander who took the group to England. During its service in World War II the unit consisted of the 322nd, 323rd, 324th, and 401st Bomb Squadrons. The 91st Bomb Group is most noted as the unit in which the bomber Memphis Belle flew, and for having suffered the greatest number of losses of any heavy bomb group in World War II. Opening: Planes in the sky (:06). Bombs being dropped (:21). B-17 Flying Fortress in the sky (:52). Title: Kiel Mission 91 Bomb Group 19 5 43 (1:37). Aerial footage of planes in the sky, land far below (1:41). Bomb doors are open and a B-17 drops bombs (1:57). Smoke plumes in the sky (2:10). Title: Wilhelmshaven Mission 91 Bomb Group 21 5 43 (2:48). Bomb is dropped in the sky (2:54). Title: Enemy Fighters Attacking Forts (3:03). Planes quickly move in the sky (3:13). Planes fire at one another (3:49). Title: Photographic Section 8th Air Force (4:37). Underneath a plane that is going down the runway and taking off into the air; the wheels go up (4:44). B-17 in the sky (5:27). Planes in formation in the sky (5:43). A group of B-17s in formation in the air (6:12). Planes in formation shot from inside another plane (6:59). Lining up a plane through a crosshair to fire on (7:30). B-17s filmed from below in the sky (7:58). Smoke plumes in the sky (8:57). B-17s on the move (9:07). Title: Flak Barrage Over Wilhelmshaven 26 2 43 (9:10). Smoke plumes from gunfire in the sky floats (9:15). Title: Vegesack Mission 91 Bomb Group 18 3 43 (9:51). B-17s with bomb doors open drop bombs down below (9:56). Plane comes in fast right at the cameraman inside of another plane (10:58). Title: Fort Going Down in Flames (11:07). A B-17 on fire drifts slowly in the sky (11:15). Aerial dogfight (11:40). Title: Antwerp Mission 91 Bomb Group 14 5 43 (12:19). Smoke plumes and planes in the sky (12:29). Title: Lorient Mission 91 Bomb Group 17 5 43 (12:50). Planes in formation (12:55). Planes fired on (13:15). B-17s in the sky (13:42). Title: St Nazaire Mission 91 Bomb Group 29 5 43 (13:52). B-17 in the sky (14:12). Explosions below the plane on the ground (14:33). A bomb is dropped (14:54). Title: Men Bailing Out As Fort Goes For A Spin (15:32). Parachutes in the sky (15:36). B-17 spins towards the ground (15:47). Planes below in formation (16:17). Underneath a plane as its wheels come down (16:22). Plane wheels come in for a landing (16:47). Pilots and crew exit their planes (17:03) and kiss the ground after a perilous mission.

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