LIBERATORS OVER EUROPE
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Year Published: 1945
Format: 16mm
Description: An obscure company called Timkin Films produced this exceptional color film, "Liberators Over Europe." It dates to the post-war period, but uses rare historic footage to showcase the efforts of the "Flying Eightballs," the 44th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force, to deliver a low-altitude supply drop in support of an assault by 14,000 American and Canadian troops on the east bank of the Rhine River on Saturday, March 24, 1945. Over 3,000 sorties were flown that day, riddling troop concentrations, supply columns, rail yards and airfields. According to an official report, 53 German aircraft were shot down. The 8th lost 22 bombers and four fighters. The bombers in the film are Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Credits: Captain U.P. Harvell, photo intelligence officer of the 44th Bomb Group, director and cinematographer; T.W. Kinnally, narration . Film opens with audio of men singing "I’ve Got Sixpence (As We Go Rolling Home)" by Box, Cox, and Hall over shots of the B-24 bomber "Diamond Lil" on a runway in Wesel, Germany on March 24, 1945 (however the film’s narrator later identifies the airfield as being somewhere in England) (00:10). Men loading cargo (00:33). Air Force officer putting on parachute (00:49). Men in bomber jackets and parachutes study a map on a runway, plotting a Rhine route (01:07). Lineups of bombers on runways (01:26). Shot of landing gear rolling over runway during takeoff, and slowly folding up into the wing over farmland and countryside (02:01). Cockpit shot in flight: pilot, co-pilot, flight instruments and dials (02:24). Shadow of plane in flight rolling over countryside (02:29). The airfield from the air; hangars; planes on runways (02:34). The airfield from a distance; fields; trees; straight roads fill the frame (02:48). Bombers above the clouds at either sunset or sunrise (03:03). Cockpit shot again (03:14). Mid-air shots of noses of airborne bombers (03:17). Midair shot of underside of a bomber (03:33). Cockpit shot (03:39). Midair shot of engines; spinning propellers (03:43). Bombers flying very low over forested countryside (03:46). Interior shot of gunner firing and reloading (03:58). German plane exploding after being hit by gunner (04:09). Heavily bombed German city of Cologne; Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom, Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus); destroyed Hohenzollern Bridge (Hohenzollernbrücke); the Rhine (04:20). Bombed German cityscapes surrounding the Rhine (04:45). Long overhead shot of a bomber flying over bombed German city (05:18). Interior of a gunner firing a couple rounds at an unseen target (05:36). Less damaged German cityscape, still lining the Rhine; intact bridges (05:40). A gunner waits, tapping his fingers on the gun (06:02). A destroyed bridge, still shrouded in bomb smoke (06:12). Dozens of parachutes drop supplies down to Allied troops (06:25). Supplies being deployed directly from bombers (06:41). More shots of groups of bombers flying very low over German countryside (06:48). Title card reads: "Two Liberators are shot down" (07:15). First plane seen hit by enemy fire amid a group of bombers, angles towards the ground, and then exploding after impact (07:20). Second plane is hit and comes to ground in "a near vertical dive" then explodes (07:30). [Note: a 1979 article by Col. U.P. Harvell indicates two men survived one of these crashes -- tail gunner Louis DeBlasio and waist gunner Robert Vance.] Industrial zone of a city; smokestacks; brick buildings (8:00). Mission completed, a bomber lands with damaged nose gear (8:22). Trucks race to the damaged plane (08:40). Narrator notes "old tail markings of 44th Bomb Group; tail markings changed in the summer of 1944" (08:41). Bomber gets a flat tire after landing, plane seen dipping suddenly (08:58). Bomber landing w/o functioning brakes (09:04). Two planes accidentally landing simultaneously, without functional hydraulics (09:14). USAAF personnel watching landings (09:21). Bomber lands with partial landing gear, plane slides on its belly and spins 180 degrees (09:23). USAAF personnel milling about damaged plane (09:47). Injured crewman being tended to by medics (09:50). Men carrying stretcher across airfield (10:00). Staff car drives across runway (10:13). Crew get donuts and coffee and a reprise of "Sixpence" (10:27). Shot of the 44th Bombardment Group’s patch: a falling, 8-ball shaped bomb with cartoon beak, eyes, and bird wings (10:41).
Complete Record:
Transcription
[Music] i've got suspense jolly jolly six pence i've got six friends to last me all my life [Music] just sent home to my wife poor white [Applause] [Music] 1945 the 8th air force had to a great extent completed its job as strategic bombing of the occupied countries in germany the oil supply vital to the war machine the transportation systems both railroad and road manufacturing capability and the communications had been bombed to a near standstill a great 1300 bomber armadas were no longer needed remaining targets were smaller and they required only group or at most a division of bombers the allied armies were victorious on all fronts but as yet germany itself had not felt the boot of an allied infantryman the rhine river was a final obstacle on march 24th the east bank of the rhine was assaulted by 14 000 american and canadian airborne troops landed by 1300 planes and gliders massive air invasion required quick resupply of ammo food and medical supplies the second air division of the eighth air force was selected as a unit to carry out this mission 240 liberators of the secondary division delivered the needed supplies right on the target to ensure the highest possible percentage of accuracy the supplies were dropped from low level [Music] the 44th bomb group participated with distinction as this film by captain ursula p harvell photo intelligence officer the 44th vividly shows [Music] [Music] [Music] so so [Music] as on any other mission the skies of england seem to swarm with the giant bombers of the mighty eight each group will assemble in a predesignated area prior to proceeding eastward to fortress europe the planes assigned to the supply mission assemble over east anglia and climb to a medium altitude the rest of the eighth will attack airfields bridges and railways as a diversionary ploy so so en route to the target area we get a close-up look at some of the devastation inflicted upon the once occupied areas of europe five years of raf three years of u.s air force bombing have extracted a heavy toll so three square miles of hotly contested real estate comprise the target area low level drop ensures 96 of the supplies reaching our troops but proves costly 22 planes are shot down over the target and the route out of the area german defense is intense besides a 244th group liberators shut down almost every plane has extensive damage from small arms fire as we can see two planes of the 44th bomb group are shot down in rapid succession the second plane which goes down in a near vertical dive has two survivors the right waist gunner and the tail gunner they were rescued from german prison hospital seven weeks later the two planes shot down over the target are not the only casualties these representative scenes show the type of damaged aircraft resulting from the intense ground fire nose gear collapse puts one in an awkward position and grinds off a lot of metal you will note some of the planes have an old tail markings as the 44th bomb group the tail markings were changed in the summer of 1944. number four engine feathered no great problem but a surprise flat tire could give some trouble it gets pretty hot with no fire this one has no brakes these planes are landing with prior knowledge of their problem and thus are able to plan a landing for minimum damage a mix up here two at once both with loss of hydraulic systems no flaps no brakes air collapse while doing a nice job holding it straight the left ear also collapses ever so slowly 180 degree change of direction and all four engines ruined this is the only plane to sustain casualties on the emergency landing the bomb groups participating in the supply mission were given a well done by jimmy doolittle the commanding general of the eighth air force the mission goes into the record books as the only combat mission flown by the 44th bomb group with a purpose other than death and destruction to enemy personnel and materials well done indeed [Applause] [Music] just sent home to my wife [Music]
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