Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In November 2006 Newsletter

You’re invited to drop by Zeno's Drive-In www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com and take in this month’s parade of free World War II plane videos showing live online.

"At the Matinee," we're showing s triple feature: the P-47 squadron classic, "Thunderbolt,” carrier crews learn how to turn on a dime in, “Landing and re-spotting carrier aircraft" and B-25 and B-17 bombers of the 321st and 97th Bomb Group take on Rommel in “Bombers Over North Africa.”

“Thunderbolt!” (Color) This exciting film chronicles the exploits of the P-47 Thunderbolt pilots of the "Fighting Gamecocks/" the 65th Fighter squadron, 57th Fighter Group. 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 fascinating slices daily life work and play on a MTO forward air base, including vintage pilot slang.
"This has to be finest combination of great photography, a hard bitten, realistic script, stirring music, powerful narration and full bore Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59W Double Wasp radial engine roar I have seen or heard in a World War II documentary. Truly memorable and highly recommended." Zeno

“Flight Deck Crews; Landing and Re-spotting Aircraft on a carrier.” (Color) Major air battles in the Pacific in World War II often turned on the ability of each side to quickly launch, land, rearm & refuel, and then re-launch their aircraft. This unique film is an unusual look (in color) at how US Navy carrier flight deck crews were trained to quickly land, park, fuel & re-arm incoming aircraft. As a bonus, you'll see GM FM-1 "Wildcats" and Grumman TBF "Avengers" up close, handled expertly on the tiny deck of a CVE "jeep" escort carrier. Built on merchantmen hulls, the 78 jeeps were rushed into service for a variety of rolls, including anti-submarine war in the Atlantic and covering amphibious landings in the Pacific. Their greatest moment came on Oct. 35, 1944, in the battle of Samar in the Philippines, when the CVEs of Task Group 77.4 (Task units "Taffy 1, 2, 4") launched a furious attack on Adm. Kurita's overwhelming task force and caused it to retreat. The CVE St Lo was lost and several others were heavily damaged, but the landing at Leyte was successfully protected.

“Bombers Over North Africa” 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 afterward 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.

If you haven't stopped by Zeno's Drive-In before, we also feature 1940-45 vintage WWII Army & Navy films and pilot’s manuals 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, and Stearman N2S .Alert! –Alert! There’s just been a jet aircraft sighting over Zeno’s Drive-In!

That's over 14 hours of rockin' props for free viewing over the internet. And, we just updated our “Control Tower”  page, where you’ll find hundreds of World War II aviation links.

Zeno
Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In
World War II Aviation Videos Playing Online 24/7
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com