Fight For The Sky - US Fighter Pilots vs Luftwaffe

Shot List:

r1:00:00:28;08

Excellent footage of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and the North American P-51 Mustang in flight.

r1:00:02:22;13

P-47 Thunderbolts landing at an air field in East Anglia England. Pilots at the squadron dispersal hut for interrogation after a mission. A jeep loaded with pilots headed to chow hall.

r1:00:03:20;11

Pilots relaxing, playing volleyball, shooting clay pigeons (clay target shooting), swimming in a local “swimming hole”. Scenes of military recreation hall, pilots shooting pool, playing ping pong, listing to radio.

Front page of the newspaper “The Stars And Stripes”. Headlines read “Allies In Belgium Near Reich Border”. Pilots at bar having a drink.

r1:00:05:35;00

General Jimmy Doolittle of 8th Air Force Command discussing the number of fighter escorts needed for next mission. Officers of 8th Fighter Command planning for next mission. CU of typewriter typing a Field Order to be sent to all fighter wings and bomber groups. Ground crews preparing aircraft for flight; shows pilots in briefing room. An officer uses a large wall map to brief pilots on mission, CU images of pilots in briefing room.

r2:00:09:17;10

Fighter pilots in briefing room, officer use pointer and large wall map to brief pilots on mission. CU of pilots writing notes on back or palm of left hands. Shows pilots “setting their watches” or "synchronizing watches".

Pilots at religious service, taking their emergency kit and emptying pockets, picking up parachute and flotation vest.

r2:00:11:25;02

Fighter pilots arrive on flight line, board aircraft aided by “plane captain” of that aircraft. Various shots of P-47 cranking propellers, planes taxing, and taking off. Head-on shot of a P-47 with wing tanks taking off directly over camera position. P-47's aircraft taking off. Shows P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang aircrafts taking off. LS of P-47 Thunderbolts flighting in “battle formation”. CU of pilots searching the sky looking for enemy planes. Shows P-47 aircraft drooping wing tanks and attacking german Luftwaffe planes.

Air combat (aerial) combat footage, CU of hand of pilot firing machine guns, enemy plane explodes. CU of the P-47 machine guns firing.

r2:00:15:46;09

CU, of B-17 bomber in flight showing nose gunner and top gunner turrets or stations. Shows a flight of P-47 fighters. LS of group of P-51 Mustangs coming in to relieve the P-47 escort fighters. P-47 fighters break escort duty, peel off and head for home. P-51 fighter bomber escort aircraft in battle formation.

r2:00:17:31;06

Captured German film. CU of alert siren at German Luftwaffe airfield German pilots scramble to board Messerschmitt (ME-109) and Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighter planes. German ME-109 and FW-190 German fighter planes taking off. Scenes of B-17 bombers and P-51 escort aircraft.

r3:00:18:27:01

P-51 Mustangs flying in formation.

r3:00:18:30:04

CU of fighter pilot flying with oxygen mask on in cockpit.

r3:00:19:21:29

German aircraft preparing to engage Allied bombers.

r3:00:19:49:24

German gun camera footage of Allied bomber being shot down.

r3:00:23:28:11

Crippled fighter followed as it explodes hitting the ground.

r3:00:26:29:28

Low level aerial combat as fleeing German fighter is finally brought down.

r4:00:27:30;02

Air (aerial) combat footage. Pilot's hand firing machine guns. Brief image of P-31 Lightning fighter firing machine guns. Several scenes of P-47 and P-38 in air (aerial) combat.

r4:00:28:47;28

Bombers of the 8th Air Force dropping bombs and explosions as bombs struck target. Shows P-47, P-38, and P-51 fighter aircraft attacking (strafing) German planes on the ground at German airfields. Great footage of P-47, P-51, and P-38 fighter planes firing machines guns in strafing attacks.

r5:00:34:21;16

Animated map of the German transportation system: rail, roads, river or canal. Shows P-47, P-51, and P38 aircraft strafing railroad yards, trains, oil tanks, and canal barges. Great footage of aircraft strafing ground targets.

r5:00:39:05;20

Ground combat scenes in WWII, soldiers advancing, tanks firing guns, artillery pieces (gun) firing, and large mortar firing. Images of a few American heroes or aces in the 8th Fighter Command in WWII, Major Gerald R. "Jerry" Johnson, Major Goodson, Capt Eugene W. O'Neil, Col. Don Blakeslee, Major Robert "Bob" Johnson, Lt. Col. Gabreski.