WWII Aviation movies you would like to see.

[claidemore]

Been reading the thread about the Flying Tigers movie that is in the works, and noted all the comments about there being so many other stories that need to be made into movies as well.

So...lets see some suggestions?

Maybe, just maybe, one of these movie producers or researchers will happen upon this site and get inspired!

A few of my picks for a movie:

French Normandie Niemen pilots fighting with the Soviets. (Jean-Jacques Arnaud? are you out there?)
Malta Spitfire pilots.
Jg44 and/or Me262 story
586th IAP womens fighter regiment.

That's just the tip of the iceberg IMO. Feel free to give details on a particular story. Like I said above, someobody might read it and be able to use it.

Cheers
Claidemore

 

[GrauGeist]

Hey, good idea!

I'd like to see a movie that covers the P-36 pilots at Pearl Harbor on December 7th or the Dutch and Australian pilots that made a stand against the Japanese as they over-ran that area early in the war.

 

[thor]

the night witches

588th Night Bomber Regiment, later called the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, a women-only combat regiment formed at the instigation of Marina Raskova and led by Major Yevdokia Bershanskaya.
From June 1942, the 588th Night Bomber Regiment was within the 4th Air Army.

The regiment flew harassment bombing and precision bombing[2] missions from 1942 to the end of the war. At its largest size, it had 40 two-person crews. It flew over 23,000 sorties and is said to have dropped 3,000 tons of bombs. It was the most highly-decorated unit in the Soviet Air Force, each pilot having flown over 1,000 missions by the end of the war and twenty-three having been awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title. Thirty-one of its members died in combat.

The regiment flew in wood and canvas Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes, a 1928 design intended for use as training aircraft and for crop-dusting. The planes could carry only two bombs at a time, so multiple missions in a night were necessary. Although the aircraft were obsolete and slow, the pilots made daring use of their exceptional maneuverability; they had the advantage of having a maximum speed that was lower than the stall speed of both the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, as a result, the German pilots found them very difficult to shoot down. A stealthiness technique of the night bombers was to shut the engine off near the target and glide to the bomb release point, with only wind noise to reveal their location.

 

[Wildcat]

75 sqn RAAF's stand at Port Moresby in early 42 when they were the only Allied fighter squadron to oppose the Japanese. Failing that, I'd love the see the Battle of the Bismarck sea brought to the big screen.

 

[RabidAlien]

Something focusing on the Cactus Air Force.

Something about the Black Cats.

Maybe a film about the P61s.

Two words: Ploesti Raid!!

And you can never go wrong having a squadron of P-38's as the main subject.

 

[Amsel]

The story of JG1. It would be an absolutely perilous movie about the difficulty of intercepting the daylight bombing missions into Germany. Starring the Fw190A7, Bf109G6/AS, and the Volksjager.

I agree with RA about the Cactus Airforce as well.

 

[Colin1]

A thoughtful, well-constructed film about Bodenplatte could work. The film's lay-out could be similar to Tora! Tora! Tora! in the way things unfold towards the climax, ending on a few philosophical words from the German commander who executed the operation.

Following a given JG through Bodenplatte, including the air battle over Kursk (which was just as spectacular as the ground battle below them) and their eventual, fighting withdrawal out of the Soviet Union to the last, desperate air battles over Berlin.

The budget for any of these films that we're suggesting might be a bit of a juggling act, they're all niche films and once the enthusiasts had inevitably been to see them, the money people might be wondering who else would go.

 

[A4K]

As I said once on another thread - a remake of 'The Battle of Britain' with accurate representations of the aircraft involved (ie, not just Spitfire Mk.IXs painted as Is shooting down Spanish CASA 2111s...). The actors can remain, they were great.

 

[RabidAlien]

Wake Island! THAT defense would be something to behold!

Tarawa. Give us some of the lesser-known battles of the Pacific (everybody's heard about Iwo Jima, only WW2 enthusiasts would know about Peleliu, Tarawa, etc)

Hurtgen Forest. (not sure how aviation would come into play here....I'd just like to see another movie about this one. Another Army blunder that should not be swept under the rug.)

 

[syscom3]

Hurtgen Forest. (not sure how aviation would come into play here....I'd just like to see another movie about this one. Another Army blunder that should not be swept under the rug.)

When Trumpets Fade

When Trumpets Fade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[syscom3]

As I said once on another thread - a remake of 'The Battle of Britain' with accurate representations of the aircraft involved (ie, not just Spitfire Mk.IXs painted as Is shooting down Spanish CASA 2111s...). The actors can remain, they were great.

Now that we are 65 - 70 years removed from these battles, there is the issue of where do you get flyable aircraft that are accurate representations.

 

[drgondog]

Now that we are 65 - 70 years removed from these battles, there is the issue of where do you get flyable aircraft that are accurate representations.

Computer graphics is only possibility.

I would like to see a well researched movie/dcoumentary with focus on ETO struggle for air supremacy.

 

[evangilder]

I would like to see one on Operation Varsity, the largest airborne operation of the war, and the largest, most successful airborne invasion in history.

Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest single airborne operation in history to be conducted on a single day and in one location.

Read more about it here:
Operation Varsity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I gave a presentation about it a few years ago at the museum and thought it would make a great movie.

 

[RabidAlien]

When Trumpets Fade

When Trumpets Fade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Got that one. Its a horrifically excellent movie. There should be more, though.

 

[proton45]

If I had to choose just ONE movie I'd like to see done (or re-done, as the case may be)...I'd love to see the "Star of Africa"! For anyone who don't know, the "SoA" is the story of Hans-Joachim Marseille. His exploits and combat style could be done soooo well in a modern film...just imagine him flying into formations (breaking them up), then picking them off one at a time.8)

His life spanned a few interesting times, from the Battle of Britain to No. Africa...apparently he was transferred to Africa because he stayed up too late partying! LOL!!!

 

[Waynos]

If Star Trek can do it why not Battle of Britain? We could also maybe get to see some Defiants, Bf110's and Dornier's too

Other than that Faith Hope and Charity could make a good movie, ending with the reinforcements of Spits and Hurri's that would lead to victory, getting all the Spits off the British and US carriers would make a good set piece too.

Or how about a film about allied squadrons first meeting and then dealing with German jets? I'm sure a good story could be woven round that.

 

[michaelmaltby]

I like the idea of the air defense of Malta .. but I'd make it the centre-point of a Buzz Beurling bio-pic.

Also, Falaise Gap with Typhoons. And of course, a P-39 Airacoba story featuring Russians.

MM

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

My ideas for WW2 Aviation movies would be:

The Blond Knight: Erich Hartmann (his story from beginning to capture to release)
BoB from the Germans point of view.
Operation Bodenplatte
The Star of North Africa: Marseille

Yeah I know these are all from the German's point of view. There are so many from the allied POV, I would love to see some from the Germans point of view.

 

[Waynos]

BoB from the Germans point of view


Although BoB does have a bit of that, once the fighting starts it does all become a bit 'achtung Spitfeur, Nein Nein!" And why not, it was our victory after all.

How would you see this put across in a new movie though Adler?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

How would you see this put across in a new movie though Adler?

Not sure, but I am sure someone could write a good story line.