# Online Videos: P-51 Dive Bombers, B-29s Carrier Action



## zeno303 (Dec 2, 2005)

Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In December Newsletter

You are invited to take a break from the Holiday hustle and drop Zeno's Drive-In www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com and watch this month's World War II aviation features for free online video viewing. This month "At the Matinee," we're showing one of Zeno's favorites, "A Day with the A-36s," "Target Tokyo," the dramatic story of the first long distance Boeing B-29 raid from Saipan, and the return of the classic World War II carrier documentary, "The Fighting Lady," a fan favorite.

We recently added a free download of a pilot's handbook for the IL-2 "Sturmovik" joining manuals for the De Havilland Mosquito FB V1, Spitfire II and the Me-262 jet fighter.

Now showing online "At the Matinee"





* A Day with the A-36s" This unique documentary features very rare color combat footage of an A-36A "Invader," (ground attack version of the P-51 Mustang) fighter/bomber squadron in action in Sicily. The A-36A was equipped with the Mustang's original Allison engine, as opposed to the Rolls Royce Merlin adapted so successfully in the escort versions, which worked just fine for low level work. There are dive breaks on the wings too! You'll also see ground crews doing their critical support work, including fueling, rearming and maintaining these sleek birds. This exciting film includes incredible cockpit views of actual ground attack runs as well as fascinating views of a captured air Italian base. One of the hidden gems in this film 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.




*"Target Tokyo" Follow the men of the 21st Bomber Command and their B-29 Super Fortresses from their training base in Grand Island, Nebraska, to the newly built air base at Saipan and then right into the first 3,000 mile raid on Tokyo. Great up close and personal footage of the lives of air ground crews, along with rare B-29 combat film shot on that first big raid on the Nakajima aircraft plant. Features cameos of crew members of the famous B-17 "Memphis Belle," who signed up for another tour of duty to fly B-29s against Japan. Narrated by Ronald Reagan. "This film is especially memorable for it's dramatic use of photo-journalistic style black and white cinematography. It's as if one of those great photo essays from a World War II issue of "Life" magazine was brought to life on the screen." Zeno




"The Fighting Lady" follows the fictional career of an Essex Class aircraft carrier from the Marcus Islands campaign, through Tinian, Truk, the "Mariana's Turkey" and much more. But don't let the term "fictionalized" miss-lead you. All of the footage shown in this fascinating composite documentary is real - shot by combat cameramen on board ship and in the air, showing actual Navy and Marine pilots and crewmen upclose and personal. ("The Fighting Lady was actually the nickname given to the Yorktowns, CV-5 CV-10.) You'll see dramatic action showing Hellcats, Hell Divers, Corsairs on deck and in the air, including exciting dive bombing, anti-aircraft, and gun camera footage and some amazing walkaway crash landings. And there's a fascinating tour below decks too. But most memorably, you'll see the faces of the officers and enlisted men of the "Fighting Lady" at work and at rest, making it all possible. Powerfully narrated by Hollywood legend Lt. Robert Taylor and directed by Academy Award winner William Wyler.

And if you haven't stopped by Zeno's Drive-In before, we also feature free online viewing of 1940-45 vintage WWII Army Navy training films 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, Stearman N2S and different WWII documentaries every month "At the Matinee." That's over 14 hours of rockin' props for free viewing over the internet. And we just added a section on P-51variant specs. Finally, don't miss our "Control Tower" links page, which has the largest collection of World War II Aviation links on the 'net 

Happy Holidays to Warbird fans everywhere from everyone here at Zeno's Drive-In !

Zeno


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## Aggie08 (Dec 11, 2005)

The A-36 video is pretty cool.


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## Gnomey (Dec 11, 2005)

Good stuff as usual Zeno.


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