INSIDE A WWII BOMBING RAID: A Real B-17 and B-24 Mission From 1944. The Air War In Color

Witness a complete WWII strategic bombing mission over Germany, from the initial briefing to the perilous return, in this fully restored and colorized version of the 1944 classic documentary, "Target for To-day." This film documents the incredible bravery of the US 8th Air Force crews who flew the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator deep into enemy territory.

Originally produced by the U.S. Army Air Forces, "Target for To-day" is not a Hollywood movie; it is a real-life documentation of a daylight precision bombing raid. There are no actors here—only the actual servicemen, from the generals planning the mission to the young aircrews facing enemy fighters and flak-filled skies. This film was created to show the American public the immense complexity, scale, and human cost of the strategic bombing campaign in Europe.

B&W Unrestored Version: https://youtu.be/yYOf7rumdxM

For the first time, this masterpiece of wartime filmmaking has been painstakingly restored, upscaled, and brought to life in full color, offering an unprecedented window into the past. Experience the tension of the pre-dawn briefing, the roar of hundreds of engines, the chilling view through the bombsight, and the anxious wait for every bomber to return. This is one of the most authentic cinematic records of the American air war in Europe ever produced.

This Dronescapes presentation preserves a vital piece of history, honoring the courage and sacrifice of the men who flew these dangerous missions.

General Characteristics

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Crew: 10
Length: 74 ft 4 in (22.66 m)
Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.62 m)
Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" radial engines, 1,200 hp each
Max Speed: 287 mph (462 km/h)
Armament: 13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns; up to 8,000 lbs of bombs on short-range missions.

Consolidated B-24J Liberator
Crew: 10
Length: 67 ft 2 in (20.47 m)
Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.53 m)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 "Twin Wasp" radial engines, 1,200 hp each
Max Speed: 297 mph (478 km/h)
Armament: 10 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns; up to 8,800 lbs of bombs.

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VIDEO SERIES:

🎥U.S. AIRCRAFT VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/US
🎥AVIATION VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/aviation
🎥GERMAN AIRCRAFT VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/WWIIGermany
🎥BRITISH AIRCRAFT VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/British
🎥ERIC BROWN VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/EricBrown
🎥B-29 VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/B29
🎥VIETNAM AND KOREA: https://dronescapes.video/Vietnam
🎥TURBOJET VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/Turbojet
🎥SUPERSONIC VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/fastest
🎥EXTREME AIRCRAFT VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/Extreme
🎥STRANGE PLANES VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/Extreme
🎥COLD WAR ERA VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/ColdWar
🎥 WW2 VIDEOS: https://dronescapes.video/WW2

00:00:00 Target for Today: The Daylight Precision Doctrine
00:01:46 The Industrial Defense Line: Target Selection and Marienburg
00:08:55 Weather Reconnaissance and Strategic Operations Planning
00:13:28 Operational Intelligence, Aiming Points, and Ballistic Fusing
00:19:36 Division Flight Routing and Coastal Flak Avoidance
00:26:08 Ground Crew Maintenance, Weight Distribution, and Ordnance Loading
00:32:39 Group Combat Briefings: Anklam, Danzig, Gdynia, and Marienburg
00:52:23 Pre-Dawn Takeoff, Stacking, and Combat Box Wing Assembly
01:02:17 Ingress Over Denmark: Luftwaffe Rockets and Aerial Combat
01:07:22 The Bomb Run: From Initial Point to Target Release
01:14:13 Return to East Anglia: Sweating Out the Formations
01:20:08 Hot News Debriefing, North Sea Air-Sea Rescue, and Strike Assessment

#WWII #ColorizedHistory #Bomber