This black & white TV show is an episode of “Flight”, a 1950s anthology series that was based on real incidents in aviation history. It is titled “Three Men” and was first broadcast in 1959. The show presents a dramatic story about an air raid on the Focke-Wulf plant at Anklam, Germany by American B-17s from the Eighth Air Force. A parallel story is told about Lt. Kirk Muller, a German fighter pilot tasked with stopping the Allied raid. Produced by California National, “Flight” was a much beloved aviation TV show that unfortunately only ran for one season 1958-1959 (38 episodes total). Featuring dramatic stories from the annals of the U.S. Air Force, the series starred Gen. George C. Kenney. California National also produced SILENT SERVICE, a drama about submarines. This episode was directed by Jean Yarborough and written by Leonard Heideman.

Opening: Colonel Cole stands. Planes have a dogfight in the sky. A plane on fire falls to the ground. Title: Flight (:08-1:20). A General holds a 50 caliber machine gun bullet and talks about the battles. Sgt. Dave Wilson, a waist gunner on a B-17, Col. Alan Cole, wing commander, Lt. Kirk Muller an ace fighter pilot for the German Luftwaffe. All three men would cross in the skies over Germany. Men plan in Washington, D.C. The three men are shown. A plane in the sky. Military men point at a map (1:21-3:10). Intelligence looks over photos. Men look at pictures. A man passes paperwork to another. Men study a giant map. Two men speak on the telephone. Two men discuss the mission (3:11-4:25). Sgt. Wilson talks with a woman. Two men discuss the target. Lt. Kirk Muller sits with his girlfriend and they kiss (4:26-5:54). Crewmen get a bomber ready at night. Bombs are rolled out and put into the plane. Propellers are looked at. At 3 a.m. Col. Cole looks at paperwork, Lt. Muller sits near a swastika, Sgt. Wilson tries to sleep. Crewmen wake up the crew. Sgt. Wilson gets out of bed. Men go and eat breakfast. At a briefing, Anklam is named as the target. Lt. Muller talks to a fellow solider near a picture of Adolf Hitler (5:55-8:31). Col. Cole speaks with a fellow soldier. Plane is readied for takeoff. Propeller starts. Pilot looks concerned. A group of B-17 Bombers start to taxi. A flare is fired and the planes start to take off (8:32-10:45). Pilot talks to the crew. Planes and bombers in the sky. Col. Cole looks on, Sgt. Wilson looks worried, Lt. Muller is on standby duty in Anklam. Sgt. Wilson talks to a fellow solider about this being his frost mission. Planes over the clouds (10:46-12:24). Planes fly over clouds over Denmark as they head for Anklam, Germany. Col. Cole waits nervously. Sgt. Wilson scans the skies. Lt. Muller waits. Air raid sirens over Anklam. Planes and Bombers are in the skies. German Pilots head out to their planes and take off in Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf 190s (12:25-14:12). Allied and German planes head towards one another. Wilson readies in the Bomber as Lt. Muller heads towards him in a plane. The gun turrets turn. Sgt. Wilson and Lt. Muller exchange shots, neither hits. The dogfight continues as Wilson fires. German planes close in. Shots are exchanged repeatedly (14:13-16:36). Eyes look through targets, guns are fired. Lt. Muller’s friend gets hit and goes down. Lt. Muller dives at Sgt. Wilson’s wing, gunfire. German planes race by, gunfire is exchanged (16:37-18:15). Planes are destroyed in the sky. Sgt. Wilson fires. Pilot announces they are near the target over Anklam. Col. Cole takes a call. Pilot tells the bombardier to prepare to drop a bomb (18:16-20:00). Bomb doors are open. Lt. Muller fires. Sgt. Wilson is ready. Target is in site. Bombs are dropped. More bombs are dropped. Explosions on the ground begin (20:01-21:37). Factory on the ground on fire. German planes renew their attack. Lt. Muller and Sgt. Wilson square off again. Sgt. Wilson’s cohort is shot and killed. Sgt. Wilson is hit but keeps firing. Lt. Muller’s plane is on fire. Lt. Muller, on fire, spins towards the ground (21:38-22:56). Col. Cole is told the mission is a success and the men begin heading back to base. B-17’s head for home. In England men wait for the comrades. The bombers are home. 20 planes left, 10 returned. B-17s land (22:57-24:15). Sgt. Wilson is wheeled out on a stretcher. The General wraps up the characters lives (24:16-25:07). Col. Cole became General Cole, and led the Eighth Air Force in the skies over Normandy at D-Day; Sgt. Wilson was also at D-Day. End (25:08-26:11).

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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com