Zeno’s Warbird Video Drive-In Big February 2010 Newsletter
Hello World War 2 & jet aircraft fans —
You’re invited to drop by Zeno’s Drive-In www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com for this month’s flight of five exciting aviation documentary films playing over the Internet. This month we have a Premier and all five films have been remastered for better web streaming.
As always, all of the videos showing on our web site are for your free viewing pleasure. The movies playing at the Matinee are now viewable in both RealVideo and Windows Media streaming video formats.
Now showing “At the Matinee” at Zeno’s Drive-In
B-52 Vietnam: Operations out of U Tapao Air Base, Thailand Premier! The focus of this dramatic film is an “Arc Light” bombing mission flown by Pilot Captain George Dietrich and the crew of B-52 D “075,” 4258th Strategic Wing out of U Tapao, Thailand in support of the besieged marine base at Khe Sahn in 1968. You’ll see every aspect of the mission from briefing, pre-fight check & takeoff, through the bomb run and final touch down. But this is much more than an Air Force information film – it’s more like a home movie. You’ll see Capt. Dietrich and his crew relaxing in a grass hut, sipping PBRs, shooting the breeze & watching the big Buffs takeoff. 258th CO, Brigadier General Alex W. Talmant, who flew 100 missions, gives an honest, straightforward narration, but the real stars of the film are the men of the 4258th. Note: The image quality of this unique film is only fair, but still watchable. Where possible, we have digitally corrected sound and video
A Day with the A-36s Unique color extended version compiled from multiple sources. Very rare combat film of an A-36A fighter-bomber squadron in action in Sicily. The A-36 was the ground attack variant of the P-51 and was known as “the Invader,” “the Mustang” or “the Apache.” The A36A was equipped with the Mustang’s original Allison engine, which worked just fine for low level work. Note the quad 20mm canons on this fast and powerful attack plane, very unusual on an American fighter. You’ll see ground crews doing their critical support work, including fueling, rearming and maintaining these sleek birds. This exciting film includes incredible cockpit views of screaming ground attack runs as well as fascinating scenes from a captured Italian air base. Hidden gems are up close views of captured or destroyed Axis aircraft, including an He 111, FW-190, Ju 88, and a rare view of an intact Italian Macchi 202 “Folgore” in full desert cammo.
Sky Blitz (In German with English commentary)This documentary on the airborne invasion of Holland in May 1941 was captured from the Germans and turned into a training tool by the US Army. That’s because it’s a text book case of the effective use of airborne troops and influenced US doctrine. This dramatic, action filled film focuses on the capture and securing of a strategic lynch pin in the defense of Holland, the massive Moerdijk bridge. You’ll see crack “Fallschrimjeager” troops seize the bridge intact before it can be blown by the Dutch. Useful maps portray tactical operations.
The Memphis Belle-New - Remastered for web streaming in color corrected video. A classic! See the 25th mission of the Boeing B-17 Memphis Belle, striking the U-boat submarine pens at Wilhemshaven. This is the original wartime documentary, written and directed by Academy Award winner William Wyler and features Capt Robert Morgan and the men of the B-17 “Memphis Belle,” 324th Squadron, 91st BG. The mission is both routine and climactic, because 25 missions completed meant the crew could rotate out of combat. (Too many never made it to 25.) It’s a measure of the men who flew these planes that several of the Belle’s crew signed on to fly B-29s against Japan. Almost all of the color clips of B-17s you see on the cable history channels are taken from this film.
The 98th Bomb Group: Liberators Over AfricaExclusive original documentary from Military Arts Pictures Exclusive original documentary from Military Arts Pi cures. This recently discovered footage shows Medal of Honor winner Col. John R. "Killer " Kane and the men of the 98th Bomb Group in the Summer of 1943, shortly before the heroic, costly Ploesti mission, at their desert base in Benghasi/Benina, Libya. You’ll see legendary B-24s like “The Vulgar Virgin,” “The Sandman,” and “War Cloud.” Sadly, several of these ships were filmed here for the last time before they were lost over Romania. There’s an unexpected gem too. Soon after the Axis surrender in Tunisia, 9th combat cameraman Jim Bray hitched a ride on a B-24 and filmed all the major North African targets the 98th had hit from the air, from El Alemein to Tunis. You’ll see Tobruk, Tripoli, Benghazi, Bizerte and more from the air, the way pilots and crew saw them during the Desert War. And the big Liberator goes in low too so you can take in sunken warships, clamoring liberty ships unloading their cargoes, and bombed out harbors that have long since been rebuilt. This is a priceless time capsule.
If you haven’t stopped by Zeno’s Drive-In before, we also feature 1940-45 vintage WWII Army & Navy films and pilot’s manuals on how to fly the F4U, F6F, P-38, P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51, P-61, TBF/TBM, AT-6/SNJ, B-17, B-24, B-25, A-20, A-26, B-26, B-29, and Stearman N2S. Alert! - don’t miss the F-86 & B-58!
Free admission for all. That’s over 14 hours of rockin’ World War II props & jets for free viewing over the Internet!
Zeno
Zeno’s Warbird Video Drive-In
World War II Aviation Videos Playing Online 24/7
www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com
Net Videos: B-52s Vietnam, Mustang Dive Bombers, Spruced Up Memphis Belle, German Paratroopers, 98th BG B-24s