“Chapter XXIV: Air War Against Japan, Oct. 1944-Aug. 1945” (SFP 263-24) of The Air Force Story gives viewers a look at the Air Force’s operations against Japan in the final eleven months of WWII. This “chapter” opens with B-29 Superfortresses flying over the Pacific Ocean (01:49) then landing at Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. “Joltin’ Josie” makes its landing on the island and is greeted by U.S. troops. An aerial shot shows a half-dozen B-29s parked on the airfield (03:31). General Curtis E. LeMay meets with his officers to discuss air strategy (04:07). B-29s fire up their engines and taxi onto the runway (04:42) as part of the 21st Bomber Command’s mission to attack Japan. The B-29s take off from the Saipan base. Footage shows B-29s flying in formation as well as the inside of one of the Superfortresses, filming the pilot, the gunner, and the navigator (06:14). B-29 gunners prepare to fire heavy caliber machine guns (07:14). A B-29 fires on a Japanese plane (07:56). The film shows an aerial view of Mt. Fuji as the bomber squadron approaches Tokyo. Viewers see Tokyo from the perspective of the B-29s (08:40); B-29s drop bombs on various Tokyo targets. Footage shows the burning aftermath of Tokyo from the U.S.’ nighttime low-altitude fire raids (09:24). Aerial footage shows several Japanese cities on fire or reduced to rubble (10:20). The Enola Gay flies toward Hiroshima (11:15) to drop the first atomic bomb, “Little Boy,” on the city. An aerial view shows the detonation of the bomb; this is followed by a shot of the mushroom cloud from the dropping of the second atomic bomb, “Fat Man,” on Nagasaki (12:05). The film then shows the USS Missouri at sea and the Japanese contingent on board surrendering to U.S. forces (12:22). The film concludes with shots of B-29s flying in formation.

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