Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In April 2007 Newsletter

You’re invited to drop by Zeno's Drive-In www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com for this month’s flight of World War 2 plane videos playing live online.

As always, every film on our web site is showing for free.
This month “At the Matinee” you’ll see a new film premier “Luftwaffe Finis,“ documenting the end of the German air force in living color, with Goering, Rudel, Galland & more; “Winged Artillery” (color), where 75mm canon firing B-25Gs raid a Japanese airbase on the deck; ”Angel in Overalls,” staring the versatile P-38 Lightning; and “Catapulting on a World War 2 Carrier” (color).

“Luftwaffe Finis” This original documentary is composed of recently discovered color film of top Luftwaffe leaders and pilots taken as they fell into Allied hands at the end of World War II. See Reichsmarschall Herman Goering, commander of Luftwaffe fighter forces Adolf Galland, Stuka pilot & tank buster supreme Hans Rudel and many more. Captured aircraft are shown as well, including an Me 262, the first jet fighter, and an FW 190. These color images make history come alive. (I was unable to identify a few of the figures shown in the final scene in the film. If you know who they are, please email Zeno. Include the time code on your video player when they appear and evidence, if you have any.)

“Winged Artillery” 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. Also features amazingly well preserved and very rare color footage of daily life of air crew and ground personnel stationed on the islands. As a bonus, you'll watch Sea Bees using heavy equipment to transform these hard won tropical atolls into fully functioning air bases and ground crews maintaining the Mitchell's massive canons.

“Angel in Overalls. This film was developed to show US Lockheed P-38 production line workers the Lightning at war in a wide variety of combat roles. The dramatic framing for the piece involves a straggling B-24 that is saved from certain destruction by the arrival of "Angels in Overalls" -- P-38s. You'll see all aspects of Lightnings in action, including air-to-air gun camera, bombing, rocketing and photo recon. There's a cameo by Air Corps P-38 ace of aces Dick Bong too. This dramatic film is a must see for all P-38 fans! The dramatic ending of this film brings home a sobering reminder that the life of the fighter pilot was risky and often dangerous. Many young pilots made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Small World War II aircraft carriers depended on their catapults. This unique film offers a rare look (in color) at how US Navy carrier crews were trained to operate hydraulic catapults to launch aircraft, even from very short decks. As a bonus, you'll see GM FM-1 "Wildcats" up close, handled expertly on the tiny deck of a CVE "jeep" escort carrier. Built on merchant men hulls, the 78 jeeps were pressed into service for a variety of rolls, including anti submarine war in the Atlantic and covering amphibious landings in the Pacific.

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 an F-86 sighted over Zeno’s Drive-In!

That's over 14 hours of rockin' World War II props for free viewing over the Internet!

Zeno
Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In
World War II Aviation Videos Playing Online 24/7
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com
Vids: Luftwaffe Finis w/Goering, Galland, Rudel, Canon Firing B-25s, P-38s & more