Summary: An impression of the way in which RAF Bomber Command carried out its assigned task of "smashing the German war industries."
Description: The film traces the course of a typical raid, beginning with interpretation of photographic reconnaissance and meteorological studies; the complex of organisational detail behind the mission in preparations of equipment for aircraft and crew, collating intelligence etc ("Before a raid, everybody on a bomber airfield had his own particular job to get on with"); the briefing; departure of the pathfinders; take off procedure. With a new 'personal' commentary the film accompanies a bomber on the raid, with captured film illustrating German defensive measures and commentary claiming RAF "perfected technique for night attack" but admitting heavy losses. Hints at the increasing technical complexity of the air war. After listing participating allied nations and German target cities, the film closes with long post-war aerial shots of bombed cities including Berlin: "Germany lies in ruins."
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:COI 109
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1945
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Seven League (Production company)
Nieter, H M (Production individual)
Whitehead, R G (Squadron Leader) (Production individual)
Wolf, Julia (Production individual)
Gill, MacDonald18841947 (Production individual)
MacRae, Arthur (Production individual)
Harvey, Frank (Production cast)
Attenborough, Richard (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force, Bomber Command (regiment/service)
Keywords: combat, British - air raid (object name)
destruction, German military - area: bomb (object name)
operations, British air - preparation (object name)
operations, British air - reconnaissance (object name)
Germany & Berlin, Berlin (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 3
Footage: 1947 ft; Running time: 22 mins
