AIR FORCE STORIES — The United States Air Force has been known by several names, from being called the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1912, through four name changes, and finally to the United States Air ... more »Force in 1947. No matter what it's been called though, it has been a boon for military strategy and power since it was first used in warfare. This series of short movies begins at "The Beginning," the Air Force's earliest days, when flight was experimental and gliders were the norm. In 1908, the Wright brothers agreed to help. By World War I, heroic flyers such as Captain Eddie Rickenbacker of the Air Service aided in supporting the efforts of the U. S. Army, particularly in France. By the time World War II began in 1939, the Air Force had perfected air-to-air refueling and had designed planes specifically for fighting and military transport. Soon it gained an equal footing with the Army and Navy. It joined the spectacular battles between the Allies and the Axis, daring even daylight bombings. Watch the historical footage as planes make devastating raids on Ploesti and other important sites, and help to bring victory in Europe. Follow the fly-boys to the Asian Theatre and the end of the war. Finally, see Truman create "A New Air Force" in 1947.
DROPZONE: NORMANDY
The most significant sea borne invasion in the history of war, the Battle of Normandy kicked off with nighttime Allied paratrooper and glider landings, heavy air and sea assaults, and a pre-dawn amphibious attack in what would be a more than two month struggle to liberate France from Axis occupation and wipe out the Chambois pocket. Dropzone: Normandy is a compelling documentary that reveals Allied preparations to engage in this historical, high-casualty battle of World War II.
DESERT VICTORY A gritty and tense Academy AwardŽ winner, Desert Victory documents the clash of Germany's General Rommel and Britain's General Montgomery as their militaries collide in battle under harsh desert conditions. Britain's defeat at El Alemein is only a stumbling block on the road to victory as they ultimately conquer the Germans at Tripoli. Notably, Desert Victory utilizes actual German footage of Rommel and Hitler that was confiscated during the skirmish by the British. During the making of this documentary, four British Army cameramen were killed, seven were wounded, and six were taken prisoner by the enemy--as these brave men captured history-in-the-making on film, they became part of history themselves...
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
The first major battle fought exclusively in air, the Battle of Britain was the largest continuous bombing campaign ever attempted. This battle also marked the first real test of bombing strategies--campaigns designed to cripple the economic capabilities of the defending nation. Forced to battle the Germans alone, the vastly outnumbered British managed to emerge victorious thanks to the Royal Air Force's superiority over Germany's Luftwaffe coupled with the people's staunch opposition to German invasion.
THE NAZIS STRIKE Masterfully compiled by Col. Frank Capra, The Nazis Strike features actual German archival footage--Nazi newsreel propaganda--as a forceful and revealing tool to expose the Third Reich's underhanded acts of political and military injustice. As each violation of peace and exploitation is committed, major Ally powers grow increasingly certain that it is necessary to take action. The invasion of Poland in the fall of 1939 is the final straw: it's war!« less
