The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress
Documentaries
•
39m
The story of a Flying Fortress is a 1944 documentary film which provides an account of the final mission of the crew of the Memphis Belle, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. In May 1943 it became the third U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe, but the first to return to the United States.
The dramatic 16 mm color film of actual battles was made by three cinematographers, including First Lieutenant Harold J. Tannenbaum. Tannenbaum, a veteran of World War I, was killed in action during the filming when the bomber he was in was shot down over France on April 16, 1943.
The film was directed by Major William Wyler, narrated by Eugene Kern, and had scenes at its station, RAF Bassingbourn, photographed by Hollywood cinematographer Captain William H. Clothier. It was made under the auspices of the First Motion Picture Unit, part of the United States Army Air Forces. The film actually depicted the next to last mission of the crew (see below) on May 15, 1943, and was made as a morale-building inspiration for the Home Front by showing the everyday courage of the men who manned these bombers.
Up Next in Documentaries
-
Manassas Confederate Winter Quarters
Head into Virginia to the Manassas National Battlefield Park. At the Portici property, we meet with Chief of Interpretation Andrew J. Bentley. Sitting in the field is a reproduced winter quarters. Join host Will as Andrew shares the story of its design and creation. Find out why it is there. Find...
-
The Ardennes Massacre's
As the tide of World War II turns, a chilling chapter unfolds deep in the Ardennes Forest, where the Ardennes Massacres reveal the brutal clash of ideologies, as American soldiers face ruthless SS units, igniting a deadly battle of survival, justice, and moral reckoning in the heart of Europe
-
The Assault on Fort Stedman
R.E. Lee’s last offensive against the Union army around Petersburg is recreated in “The Assault on Fort Stedman.” Confederate General John B. Gordon’s elaborate plan to capture a portion of the Union siege lines is explored, including the making of white strips of cloth, used to identify
Confeder...
