Online Vids: Mustang Aces, P-47 Action, Carrier Catapults & Ron?s Zeke

Online Vids: Mustang Aces, P-47 Action, Carrier Catapults & Ron?s Zeke

Zeno?s Warbird Video Drive-In November 2007 Newsletter

Hello World War 2 plane fans ---

Today (and every day) honor our Veterans.

You?re invited to drop by Zeno's Drive-In www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com to view this month?s memorable collection of four WW2 combat aircraft documentary films playing for free, live on line. These films were all produced during the War and provide a unique widow on our past.
Now showing ?At the Matinee?

354th Fighter Group Color Scrapbook New! Exclusive production. Rare color film of the legendary 354 Fighter Group, with over 700 Kills, the highest scoring American unit in Europe. You'll see great aces like G.T.Eagleston and B.W. Carr at work and at play in their newly captured base in Germany in Spring, 1945, only a few months before war's end. Nice scenes with the group's well known P-51Ds too, including "Margie Maru" and "Angel's Playmate." This was the first group to fly P-51s in the ETO. They were known as the "Mustang Pioneers." Amazing color gun camera film!

Thunderbolt! A Drive-n Favorite. This exciting film chronicles the exploits of the P-47 Thunderbolt pilots of the "Fighting Gamecocks" of the 65th Fighter squadron, 57th Fighter Group. Based on the island of Corsica off the northwest coast of the Italian boot, they flew from behind the enemy's flank. As part of "Operation Strangle," they continuously attacked highways, bridges, ammo dumps, railroads and just about anything that moved to choke off the flow of supplies to the Axis front line. This film not only features one-of-a-kind P-47 combat footage, it also shows day-to-day life on a MTO forward air base, including vintage pilot slang. "This has to be finest combination of great photography, a hard bitten, realistic script, stirring music, powerful narration and full bore Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59W Double Wasp radial engine roar I have seen or heard in a World War II documentary. Truly memorable and highly recommended.

Flight Deck Crew: Catapulting on a Carrier Small World War II aircraft carriers depended on their catapults. This unique film offers a rare look (in color) at how US Navy carrier crews were trained to operate hydraulic catapults to launch aircraft, even from very short decks. As a bonus, you'll see GM FM-1 "Wildcats" up close, handled expertly on the tiny deck of a CVE "jeep" escort carrier. Built on merchant men hulls, the 78 jeeps were pressed into service for a variety of rolls, including anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic and covering amphibious landings in the Pacific. Their greatest moment came on Oct. 25, 1944, in the Battle of Samar in the Philippines, when the CVEs of Task Group 77.4 (Task units Taffy 1, 2 & 4) launched a furious attack on Adm. Kurita's massive task force and caused it to retreat in confusion. The CVE St Lo was lost and several others were heavily damaged, but the landing at Leyte was successfully protected.

Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter with Ronald Reagan Lieutenant "Jimmy Saunders" (Ronald Reagan) learns how to tell a P-40 from Japanese A6M Zero, the hard way. (That's a very angry Craig Stevens aka "Peter Gunn" on the receiving end.) Contains plenty of interesting info about what US pilots were told about Japan's most produced and feared fighter and how to spot it. Includes seldom seen footage of a captured Zero doing spectacular aerobatics. Even though this is "only" a 20-minute training film "the Gipper" gives a very convincing performance as the cocky yet apprehensive new P-40 pilot, Jimmy Saunders. This earnest commitment to give his very best, regardless of the size or scope of the job, was a hallmark of his long and distinguished career

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! ? Alert! There?s been an F-86 jet sighted over Zeno?s Drive-In!

That's over 16 hours of rockin' World War II props for free viewing over the Internet!

Coming soon: A new film that will warm the hearts of P-38 fans everywhere! (Almost ready!)

Tally-ho!

Zeno

Zeno?s Warbird Video Drive-In /World War II Aviation Videos. Celebrating 10 years on the Internet 1997-2007 http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com