Flying Fortress (Warner Bros.) (1942)

16 “FLYING FORTRESS” PUBLICITY—PREPARED FEATURE, FILM STORIES FLYING FORTRESSES BOMB BERLIN “FLYING FORTRESS RIP JAP FLEET” “*FLYING FORTS’ POUND DUTCH CENTERS” “FORTRESSES BATTER FRANCE” “11 U.S. FLYING FORTRESSES DEFEAT 20 NAZI FIGHTERS” “AIR FORTRESSES DOWN 12 NAZIS IN HOLLAND RAID” SSFORIS: BLAST: 10° JAP SHIPS” O HAVE the newspapers been trumpeting forth the thrilling news of the exploits of America’s mighty Flying Fortresses, dreadnoughts of the skyways. Writing their deeds with cannon fire and machine gun bullets, these famed B-17’s are in the vanguard of the United Nations’ fighting forces today. Blasting two-ton “block busters” on Rouen or knocking Focke-Wulf 190’s out of the skies, battering the Jap fleet or making mincemeat of the Zeros, the Flying Fortress “has exceeded even the fondest expectations of its American proponents,” says a report of the Office of War Information on the performance of American military and naval aircraft. Astounding Precision “Tt has shown that the B-17 is capable of high-altitude day bombing of such precision that it astounded Allied ob servers. Combat has proved the great fire power of the Flying Fortress, as well as its inherent toughness under enemy attack. . In this airplane the United States has a weapon of marked and proved superiority in its field.” But, behind the excitement of news accounts of Flying Fortress bombing raids, are many hours of intensive and exacting preparation. This phase of flying operations is graphically shown in the new Warner Bros. picture, ‘Flying Fortress,” which was produced under actual war conditions in England. The picture, an account of a thrilling Flying Fortress raid on Berlin, stars Richard Greene and Carla Lehmann. Greene, former Hollywood star who is now serving as an officer in the British tank corps, was released from service long enough to appear in the film. The importance British officials attached to this picture warranted their unprecedented action. Join the crews of a Flying Fortress squadron at 4 a.m. in the lounge of their B-17 crews “briefed” by officers. Meteorologists detail weather conditions. Intensive Preparations Necessary Before Our Air Dreadnoughts Richard Greene cast as navigator in “Flying Fortress.” Heavy demolition bombs score direct hits on Nazi power plant in Berlin. bomber station somewhere in England. The order for the day’s target and flying instructions arrives from Bomber Command headquarters shortly afterwards. In selecting the target the commanding officer has carefully considered the reports of General Staff Headquarters, his own intelligence officers, reconnaissance photographs and reports from agents scattered over the world war fronts. After preliminary objectives have been agreed upon, files of secret information about the proposed target are consulted. Here are reports on military installations in the area, factories or military bases in the territory, local airplane strength. Then, the meteorologists’ weather maps are studied to determine whether flying conditions will be suitable. Following this, a rigid time schedule for the day’s raid is drawn up. Approved by the commanding officer, these are the orders that reach the Flying Fortress crew. The men are next “briefed” by intelligence officers who give them all available information about the day’s target. Crews make last-minute arrangements among themselves while the navigators pour over their maps, preparing the routes the planes will take. Upon their work depends the timing of the entire operation—a five-or-ten-minute navigational error might spell disaster. Fortress crews empty their pockets and strip their clothing of all identification markings so that if forced down Take Off on Enemy Raid Gunners, dressed for high-altitudes, man the 50-calibre chine guns. ma in enemy territory they will have on them only their regular Army “dog tags.” Jeeps or trucks then transport the men from the bombing station to their planes which are moored at dispersal points scattered over the area. High-altitude flying clothes and parachute harness adjusted, the men take their posts in the planes. Motors bark into action and waved on by the contro! tower officer, the “forts” head into the dawn and their objective. Crews Beport Upon their return the crews are immediately questioned by intelligence officers while memories are still fresh. The men report the results of their bombings, the enemy airplane opposition they met, the strength of hostile anti-aircraft installations, the number of planes shot down. From the correlation of these facts headquarters determines the success of the raid and plans accordingly for future operations. Photographs by reconnaissance planes of each target are the finale of any flying operation. From enlargements of these pictures, trained observers can interpret details of all damage done. This is the everyday routine in back of the everyday Flying Fortress bombings of enemy Europe. And that is all part of the general scheme of war as outlined by President Roosevelt when he promised “we shall carry the attack against the enemy. We shall hit him, and hit him again, wherever and whenever we can reach him.” Scene cuts only available. Order “Flying Fortress Mat 501B’—75c—from Campaign Plan Editor, 321 W. 44 St., N. Y. C. B-17°s in New Film / America’s spectacular Flying Fortresses, one of the United Nations’ most potent weapons in the battle against the Axis, appear for the first time in the movies in the new picture appropriately called ‘Flying Fort 9 ress, The picture was made in England at Warner Bros.’ Teddington Studios with an American-British cast headed by Richard Greene and Carla Lehmann. Richard Greene is himself in the British army, and was released for the important mission of making this picture. No recent war picture has dealt so realistically with what is happening as bombs burst in coming to the Strand Theatre on Friday. | Gsooe today. With swift ac tion—not forgetting a love story —“Flying Fortress” spins from the Royal Canadian Air Force in Ottawa to London during an air raid and then soars 35,000 feet for its climax, a bombing attack on Berlin. Actual shots of the big Fly| ing Fortresses in the air and ‘Fat Boy' Goering Can't Take It A balloon facsimile of Hermann Goering, the fat and bemedalled Nazi leader, is the source of a comedy interlude in during an air raid are high spots in the picture. Military censors faced a major problem in permitting the Flying Fortresses to appear on the screen, but managed to do so without revealing important information to the enemy. The general public will see what the inside of one of these giant air tanks looks like for the first breath-taking scenes of London , time. “Flying Fortress,” the Warner Bros. picture starring Richard Greene, now at the Strand Theatre. The balloon is the pet eccentricity of a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, who keeps the gadget tied above the instrument panel of his ship. When the plane is on a bombing raid and ascends higher and higher into the stratosphere, the Goering figure grows larger and larger with the decreased air pressure. Finally, at 35,000 feet, the balloon bursts. “Goering’s a busi,” snickers the pilot. “He couldn’t take it.” The pilot role is played by Sidney King who is featured with Greene in the war drama. Gets Army Leave To Make Picture Richard Greene obtained a leave of absence from his duties in the tank corps of the British Army to appear in “Flying Fortress,” the Warner Bros. picture, opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. It was filmed in England with the cooperation of the Royal Air Force and the Atlantic Ferry Command. “Flying Fortress” was _ produced at Warner Bros.’ Teddington Studios near London, under war-time conditions and Green was on emergency call during the entire production. Carla Lehmann is co-starred.