B-24 Liberators Over Europe | WW2 Era US Army Air Forces Documentary | 1945

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This late 1945 film - originally titled as "Liberators Over Europe" - is a documentary produced by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF). It was photographed by the Third AAF and Eighth AAF Camera Units.
The film documents the activities of the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe during World War 2. It focuses on the air missions of the American B-24 Liberator squadrons from 1942 till 1945. In addition to numerous scenes showing the B-24 airplanes in action, the film also includes scenes of the presentation of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Colonel Leon W. Johnson for leading the air raids on the Ploesti oil fields; the return to the U.S. of the first aircraft from overseas duty - the B-24 "Boomerang"; and a a presentation of a memorial fund check to the mayor of an English town in honor of the B-24 group stationed there.
Prominent persons and aircraft in the film:
- Colonel (later General) Leon W. Johnson at the Medal of Honor Awards ceremony at 3:14
- General Jacob L. Devers, commander of the 6th Army Group, at 3:22
- The Liberator “Boomerang”, a veteran aircraft with 53 mission symbols on the nose, from 3:34
- General James P. Hodges, commander of the 2nd Air Division, at 4:12
- General William E. Kepner, commander of the 8th Air Force, at 19:24
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND / CONTEXT
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s.
At its inception, the B-24 was a modern design featuring a highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing. The wing gave the Liberator a high cruise speed, long range and the ability to carry a heavy load. Early RAF Liberators were the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean as a matter of routine. In comparison with its contemporaries the B-24 was relatively difficult to fly and had poor low speed performance; it also had a lower ceiling and was less robust than the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. While aircrews tended to prefer the B-17, General Staff favored the B-24, and procured it in huge numbers for a wide variety of roles. At nearly 19,000 units - including over 8,000 manufactured by Ford Motor Company - it holds records as the world's most produced heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history.
The B-24 was used extensively in WW2. It served in every branch of the American armed forces, as well as several Allied air forces and navies, and saw use in every theater of operations. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the U.S. strategic air campaign in the Western European theater. Long range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap. The C-87 transport derivative served as a longer range, higher capacity counterpart to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain.
By the end of 1945, the technological breakthroughs of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and other modern types had surpassed the B-24 that served from the beginning of WW2. The B-24 was rapidly phased out of U.S. service, although the PB4Y-2 Privateer maritime patrol derivative carried on in service with the U.S. Navy until 1954.
For more information about the B-24, see:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consoli...
B-24 Liberators Over Europe | WW2 Era US Army Air Forces Documentary | 1945
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NOTE: THIS VIDEO DOCUMENTS HISTORICAL EVENTS. THE VIDEO HAS BEEN UPLOADED WITH EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. ITS TOPIC IS REPRESENTED WITHIN HISTORICAL CONTEXT.