Released in 1945 during WWII, this newsreel contains various segments about the conflict. The most exciting begins at the 16:50 mark, with gun camera footage shot by U.S. fighter aircraft combating the German Me-262 jet fighters and Me-163 rocket jet, flying wing aircraft.
The film begins with a lengthy segment about on-going combat in Liuchow-Nanning, China against the Japanese. The Japanese north-south drive towards Kwelin in November of 1944 caused a huge flood of refugees and resulted in chaos for the Nationalist Army and American forces. A cholera epidemic was feared due to the thousands of refugees. Tons of 14th Air Force supplies were destroyed by Japanese raids, and more had to be destroyed to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. At 4:00, a former Japanese air base is seen in use by the 14th Air Force, being used to evacuate supplies aboard C-46 Curtiss Commandoes. The base is destroyed on November 19th, as P-51 fighter aircraft leave on their last mission. The Japanese assault on Nanning is seen at 6:20, with almost a million persons now displaced. At 7:40, the railroad is seen in use with a captured Japanese Zero wreck being shipped to a rear area for inspection. German Henschel trucks and American trucks are seen at 8:38, being used to move supplies and evacuate the Army. Many destroyed trucks are seen by the side of the road, victims of having no brakes. At 9:50, extended supply lines cause the Japanese to collapse and Chinese forces advance against the enemy.
At 10:11, a mission to Hanoi, French IndoChina is seen by Liberators of the 14th Air Force in November of 1944. These raids were made to slow the Japanese advance towards Nanning by destroying railroad marshaling yards and warehouses.
At 11:00, attacks against the N.E.I. out of Sansapor in the Dutch East Indies against Japanese positions. B-25 Mitchell bombers are making daily strikes at minimum altitude against Japanese supply installations, shipping, and oil dumps. At 12:30, again in the Dutch East Indies, a night raid is made by the Japanese against the 13th Air force against Morotai in November of ’44. The runway was cratered and a number of B-24s destroyed.
At 14:56, winterizing of posts by the men of the 15th Air Force near Foggia are seen.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
