Dramatic low level flying bomber footage (1943)

GAUMONT BRITISH NEWSREEL (REUTERS)
To license this film, visit www.britishpathe.com/video/VL...
Bombers fly extremely low to the ground on their way to bomb a Paris, France power station, and one plane is rocked by bomb blast on the ground
Full Description:
SLATE INFORMATION: Fighting France - Paris Power Station Devestated in Low Level Attack
FRANCE: Ile-de-France: Paris:
EXT
AEROPLANES, French. Free French pilots flying Bostons raid Paris power station. Pilots at Salvation Army canteen..Enter planes..take off airborne over country..crossing cliffs..over sea..crossing french coast (cliffs) passing over French country haystacks etc..Bombs over target..explosions on ground rock plane..Flying over houses.
FRANCE. Free French pilots flying Bostons, raid power station nr. Paris.. Shots taken passing over countryside, haystacks etc Explosions on target.. blast rocks camera plane.. returning over houses etc. (All planes have Cross of Lorraine)
PARIS Fighting French flying Bostons raid power station
Air Raids and War Damage; Airforce - Active
WWII, World War Two, World War II, Second World War, war, Allied, Allies, Axis, France, Paris, attack, power station, destruction, destroyed, bomber, bombers, air assault
Background: Bombers fly extremely low to the ground on their way to bomb a Paris, France power station, and one plane is rocked by bomb blast on the ground
FILM ID: VLVABNFD1KO8OSJVO1VQA2511D0B3
To license this film, visit www.britishpathe.com/video/VL...
Archive: Reuters
Archive managed by: British Pathé

[@dooshee2]

My father, Jacques Duchossoy, was flying in this operation, his aircraft was the No. 1 in a section of 4, the No. 2 and 3 aircraft were shot down. He watched his friends Lamy and Jacque Jounieau's aircraft crash into the Seine, there is a memorial to the crew on the Pont de Tolbiac bridge in Paris.

[@joebutlersnr7017]

You must be so proud mate , it was dangerous just flying that low.

[@larrybarnes3920]

Respect.

[@None-zc5vg]

What was the target of this operation?

[@dooshee2]

@@None-zc5vg a power station on the outskirts of Paris at Chevilly Larue, I read somewhere that it didn't become operational again until 1947. The sad fact of this being of course that they are bombing their fellow countrymen. The tragic reality of war.

[@bmused55]

Heroes, each and every one of them. I tip my hat in respect to your Father and his comrades.

[@timg2088]

The people who installed those cameras could've never imagined their footage being viewed by thousands of people on phones and computers. So thankful for men like these that recorded history, and for those who sacrificed so much.

[@LOOKINVERTED]

Indeed, well said, makes one thankful for what we have quite frankly and why we should continue to fight for the same sentiments of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I wonder what devices we'll be watching content of today (and even this historic gold) in 50+ years? Will it simply be a further extension of what we have or something entirely different and innovative?

[@user-iq8mc4wu4s]

Ты благодаришь нацистов, за то, что они сняли на камеру как убивают твоих предков.. Это как если твои дети будут благодарны твоему убийце за то, что он снимет на видео как будет тебя убивать. У вашей нации слишком плохая историческая память.

[@LOOKINVERTED]

@@user-iq8mc4wu4s Did a quick translation so forgive me if I'm wrong but it appears you've presumed misappropriated malice out of such benign statements.

[@user-iq8mc4wu4s]

@@sweeps4037 обречены те, кто не помнит уроков истории и своего прошлого. "Кто не помнит своего прошлого, у того нет будущего"

[@zerosugarmatcha7348]

@@user-iq8mc4wu4s At first I thought 'I hope Google Translator didn't translate Russian to English wrong', second thought 'Maybe English to Russian translation was messed up'. These conversations don't make sense.

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

Those magnificent men and their flying machines. My grandfather was one of them. Flying Mosquitoes with the RCAF. Killed over Germany one night Sept 1943.

[@makyhsmakyhs6766]

God bless his sole must pray for him every day my lord !

[@richardboote2370]

@@Lord.Kiltridge Quite right, quite right.

[@larryoxentine8310]

How rude, a person prays for the soul of your own Grandfather , so you can use the very freedom he died for to express your ingratitude. I hope his life didnt end in battle. That his sacrifice is his reward in Heaven and eternal glory.

[@makyhsmakyhs6766]

@@larryoxentine8310 you are stupid man in a strange way, am talking about his grand father not me !

[@larryoxentine8310]

@@makyhsmakyhs6766 Well one of us is stupid.

[@DMINDTHELOWRIDER]

Many of the pilots were 18-20 years old. The great thing about being young is that you have no idea how hard things are. You just do it.

[@paavobergmann4920]

Also, you still lack a sense of mortality

[@Zamandu]

Oh yes, it's so great when old geezers throw away countless young adults to die in their wars

[@CatsAreAmazing8187]

@@Zamandu cry about it

[@ralfnorenberg3130]

@Tom Tan americans waited too long to join the war,same in balkan..........

[@laverdajota8089]

Tom Tan you mean fighting the Germans , not all were Nazis

[@johnlamure8124]

J'ai retrouvé mon père par hasard sur cette vidéo. Il s'appelait Joanny Lamure, il était pilote (celui tout à droite à la 25è seconde du film). Quel bonheur, quelle émotion et quelle fierté la vue de ces images! (Merci papa pour ton parcours et ton courage)

[@applewookye7013]

Ça doit être magnifique de retrouver "par hasard" son père sur une vidéo aussi impressionnante. Quelle fierté ça doit être

[@sergeloth6685]

Tu peux etre fier John...

[@Alvan81]

Much Respect!

[@richardturner9317]

John Lamure - I found my father by chance on this video. His name was Joanny Lamure, he was a pilot (the one on the right at the 25th second of the film). What happiness, what emotion and what pride the sight of these images! (Thank you dad for your journey and your courage)

[@jeanguycanuel3373]

Très heureux pour vous...quel bonheur....ils étaient tous des héros,tous jeunes. Du Québec, Canada...

[@lifesentencesuxsodoesplayz7861]

Talk about skilled pilots!!! Those guys had to be completely exhausted ....just keeping the plane from hitting the ground...

[@glenndickson7627]

Mosquito's would have been a choice of plane since they carried up to 4,000 lbs of bombs each versus 2,400 for a Boston

[@lifesentencesuxsodoesplayz7861]

@@glenndickson7627 that was a very clever adaptation we had..wooden planes that performed better than metal planes...

[@glenndickson7627]

@@lifesentencesuxsodoesplayz7861, yes a good family friend flew one as a pathfinder and target marker for the RCAF, RAF. The speed always got him home.

[@glenndickson7627]

@Hoa Tattis, yes. I have corrected my error. Thanks! Still a lot more payliad than the A20 Boston

[@kimleechristensen2679]

@@glenndickson7627 Certain factors has to be considered, as to why the Bostons was chosen instead of the Mosquito with 4000lb bomb load, for this raid. 🤔 1) When was the raid made? if it was before that particular variant of Mosquito came into service, well that would for certainty explain why. 2) If the Mosquito variant was in existence at the time of the movies making, was there any units available at the time the mission was mandated to be executed? 3) Off the bat, I would say the Mosquito had a longer range than the Boston, so why waste a good long range aircraft on a "short" range mission, when you have alot of "short" range aircraft like the Boston to pick from. And then use the Mosquito more usefully to strike at targets at long range. The last factor makes logically sense from a "Resource Management" point of view. Anyway just my input on the matter, as to why, there may be other reasons than the ones I stated. 🤔🤔🤔

[@Jasper118]

I love the repeating sound of passing planes despite it being filmed in the plane

[@mrlime9675]

Lol. That's what I thought about too. Fake sound like in a cheap game.

[@Morannar]

My guess is that those are not passing planes... the engine noise changes due to the pressure gradients of the air. Notice how with every change of sound the wing rises and lowers. Not to mention that the wing is also blocking the noise from the next plane, from time to time.

[@BOYTLeRoyJenkins]

@@PyrotechnicMailman No, it's the same repeating soundtrack. Those cameras did not likely have audio recorded, just video.

[@PyrotechnicMailman]

@@BOYTLeRoyJenkins yeah true

[@tombarron8741]

How the heck did we win with such rubbish sound engineers?

[@joestephan1111]

My father flew planes in three wars, including bombers in WWII. My deepest respects to the brave men who flew these missions.

[@undersounds7775]

May I ask what could he tell you about his experience? It seems so unreal for today's generation

[@joestephan1111]

@@undersounds7775 I life-long learned his experiences, beginning with his never being same after. I also buried many of my own, including those who took their own lives after.

[@joestephan1111]

@@undersounds7775 I will try to answer better.

[@undersounds7775]

@@joestephan1111 I can't imagine what it must have felt like. My full respect

[@joestephan1111]

@@undersounds7775 Thank you

[@timwingham8952]

0:35 a rare sight. This Boston has a Vickers Gas Operated gun (known as the Vickers K or VGO) fitted in the nose perspex. This was a locally produced modification - some South African Air Force Bostons also had the same mod, but footage is rare. Thank you so much for posting this. The Boston gets overlooked.

[@petermainwaringsx]

Thank you, I was wondering what aircraft they were. I'd guessed Liberators but there were not enough engines, I blame it on the vaccine. 🙄

[@raysnyder7512]

B-25 bad ass plane. B-25s dropped the first bombs on Tokyo with Billy Mitchell. They took off on aircraft carriers no less. Amazing.

[@PoochAndBoo]

@@petermainwaringsx Liberators!? They don't look anything like B-24"s. They are U.S. built Douglas A-20's. The RAF renamed them Bostons. Terrific airplanes and one of the wars forgotten warriors. Used heavily in the South Pacific, too. About 10,000 or so build....one still flying.

[@petermainwaringsx]

@@PoochAndBoo I did say in my post they were missing two engines. I only just noticed, the tail planes are completely different as well, but then I'm not as much of an expert as you are.

[@barneydenstad2148]

@@raysnyder7512 Yes, but these seems to be A-20 Boston / Havoc, not B-25 Mitchell. Both double engined with this inglassed face, thought. So similiar looks yes.

[@alanluscombe8a553]

Ww2 would have been insane to be a part of. Crazy how all of that happened less than a hundred years ago. The feeling of the entire world being placed in that spot is just mind blowing

[@vikingpowered868]

When you got a 5 sec long soundtrack of an engine, and play it in loop..

[@hopsta5628]

When you concentrate on the story and couldn't give a rats arse about the soundtrack.

[@vladimird5280]

@@hopsta5628 indeed

[@cuteraptor42]

@@hopsta5628 The planes passing-by sound repeating from 2:00 to the end, while the cameraman is on the plane, is quite perturbing

[@mattmcguire1577]

@@cuteraptor42 Did those cameras actually record sound? I thought that they only recorded images and the sound was put over the top.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

It's funny that they resorted to that clip when they could have easily recorded the authentic sound inside the plane instead. Plenty of opportunities, unlike now.

[@EpemaKlapkin]

My father's sister have been fighting hand by hand with men wile ww2 as a pilot of soviet fighter Yak9. She told that A20 was the best and the most universal plane of the war

[@davidx9901]

I adore the A-20. Such an incredible aircraft. The same guy designed the SBD Dauntless. Legendary airplanes.

[@davidpost428]

how great for her to do that !

[@EpemaKlapkin]

@Justus Immelmann There were a lot of women in Red Army who were fighting hand to hand whith men as pilots of warcraft fighters and bombers. She was an Yak1 and Yak9 fighter pilot since 1942 till 1945. Captain Maria Dubovick.

[@EpemaKlapkin]

@Justus Immelmann The communist government of the ussr for the sake of maintaining its power did not take into account the victims

[@EpemaKlapkin]

@Justus Immelmann The communist government of the ussr for the sake of maintaining its power did not take into account the victims

[@janetkent8307]

Those planes were going a fair old lick into France, very brave men

[@jamesrussell7760]

These aircraft were A-20 Havocs that the Brits called Bostons and the French designation was DB-7. For a medium bomber, they were very fast, top speed of 340 MPH, and powered by 1,600 hp radial engines.

[@chrismc.4437]

Open headers rocking!

[@maxcrowe3900]

Thanks, I couldn’t quite make out the narrators diction on the plane’s name and was unfamiliar with them.

[@panzerlieb]

I thought that’s what they were. I didn’t know they used them in the European theater. They used hundreds in the Pacific. A-20s are a true unsung hero of WWII

[@sludgepump2782]

My favourite warthunder aircraft

[@vinnartaigh2076]

Airman Russell you are up for promotion. Well done.

[@anesthetized7053]

these dudes were flying in the most janky ass setups probably and still held perfect formation at 0 altitude over water somehow, i cant even imagine how skilled these guys are

[@mwhitelaw8569]

Cables a little bit of linkage and away they go

[@blustackschris9687]

Thank you from Germany. A current member of the German Airforce.

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

This is probably the most truthful account I've ever seen of the term "flying at tree top height"

[@gillesguillaumin6603]

It's not in France. More probably Belgium. The fields have not this kind of haystacks.

[@dooshee2]

@@gillesguillaumin6603 .the Bostons are crossing over the coast at Beachy Head, would they 'dog leg' to Belgium from there for an Op on Paris?

[@davidbarnsley8486]

They flue so low they use to come back with wires caught up on the planes

[@Adi-is-Adi.]

Check out the mosquito raids bud.

[@appmm6940]

Good low flying fiotage. Check out 'Operation Oyster' the raid on a Dutch electronics factory - the planes at one point are below the power lines height.

[@ArkaelDren]

No offense to any of our current service members, but these men had huge clankers.

[@lisaburnett3368]

Every single guy in this. Is a bloody hero. Not often seen in this day and age. All in their early 20's to boot.

[@dooshee2]

My Dad was 17 when he ran away from home to join 342 'Lorraine', the squadron depicted here. He would have been in one of those aircraft as the Op is in his Log Book. He had come to England, (Newhaven) just before the war, he was from Dieppe, apparently he was so angry at the disaster of the Dieppe raid he was determined to fight to liberate France.

[@oldgoat142]

@@dooshee2 Much respect to him, and all his squadron mates.

[@wongjock648]

They probably didn't have much time for gender pro nouns either.

[@oldgoat142]

@@wongjock648 You're right about that!

[@PrimeRsoul]

These days the world is crowded with Millennials that suffer from mental disorders as a result from not being allowed to hang out with friends during a pandemic. Imagine sending those to combat. Suicide rate would be at least 50% as a direct result of having no or slow internet connection.

[@stevehiatt848]

Daylight, low level, no fighter cover..... Much respect

[@manfromanywhere]

I remember an Air Enthusiast article that mentioned how much the French pilots loved the Boston.

[@andrewwood6285]

Wow! I’ve been a passenger on several low level flights training and combat, and to think this was all done by the sheer skill of the pilot - no terrain hugging radar feeding into a flight computer to assist the pilot. Simply wow!

[@nidgem7171]

To be honest, given the prospect of being riddled with flak or bounced by fighters if they got the chance ... *The Thing which surprised me is they weren't much LOWER* Hellish hard to judge from film but over the city they must have been a fair bit more the 500 feet up Maybe they had to add more height for their bomb run?

[@philt4346]

Just a word of appreciation for the sound editor who made some pretty tidy loops of tape to infill the absent audio. All of the airborne footage is video-only.

[@mikearmstrong8483]

So I wasn't imagining that.

[@PoochAndBoo]

Some guy named Burt Lancaster!! Lol!!!!! Only one of the most famous Hollywood actors of all time. Sheeesh.....kids!

[@AB-vc7ox]

The sound of those old radial engines always makes me smile.

[@964cuplove]

..and video was actually film…. :-)

[@balham456]

This is excellent footage. Low level strikes were very dangerous as in the event of a flak hit, the crew were too low to bail out.

[@rogueriderhood1862]

Not just flak hits. any pilot error would have the same result.

[@toocoolforu]

Avoiding radars

[@passiveaggressivenegotiato8087]

tree top flier

[@davechapman490]

There were no Flak attacks to low flying aircraft like this, flak was only effective above many thousands of meters. With a muzzle velocity of 840 meters per second, an 88mm Flak round would basically have to detonate immediately after leaving the barrel to shoot at these low flying aircraft, rendering it absolutely useless ...which is exactly WHY these aircraft flew low level!

[@carey-gregory]

@Hoa Tattis The gun crew would still have to be incredibly fast and accurate. The planes would be within visual range for only seconds.

[@welshpete12]

That's really dicing it . Engine failure, a random shot from the ground , hit a phone line. Two seconds and you are dead , no time to use a chute .

[@wobblybobengland]

Bird strikes must have happened all the time.

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@wobblybobengland They did. But it was still safer than being picked up by radar and getting intercepted by fighters. Low flying was the least-bad option, I guess.

[@barneydenstad2148]

Right. Modern planes have a catapult, you can catapult literally from zero height and survive. In that time they must be several meters up to manage a parachute jump. So yes, it was a one way journey. You either made it, or you didnt.

[@robc8892]

Never seen such real low level ww2 footage. Truly amazing, need more of this absolutely spell binding

[@fallinginthed33p]

No radio altimeter I assume, just visual nap of the earth flying.

[@gar6446]

There's film of the raid on the Philips factory in Netherlands available on KZbin.

[@gordak]

there is mosquito footage of a whole mission like that if you search.

[@bengelman2600]

Man when the shockwave from that bomb knocked the camera... woah!

[@aesoundforge]

My generation grew up and dint realize grandpa was a badass...

[@lifelikeaglitch7343]

My generation is still growing up and didnt realize they are the softest genration.

[@k9six185]

Well said my friend......

[@KumaBean]

Truer words have never been spoken 🤝

[@higaluto]

@@lifelikeaglitch7343 and dont forget, the more peacefull generation, last time there was peace between the european nations for so long, was in ancient roman times, and its highly unlikly we will go to war against eachother again. Could you realy imagine germany invading france ever again.

[@CatsAreAmazing8187]

@@higaluto I mean you can’t really say all European nation and just count the big ones from ww2, Balkan nations like to fight with each other, and iirc Balkan is a region in Europe

[@phph1731]

My first ever Airfix kit was a Boston. I wasn’t aware of this raid. Thanks for posting this.

[@KumaBean]

Mate, you just reminded me of one of the few happy memories I have from my childhood, thank you 💚 🤝

[@phph1731]

Glad to know that. There was a lot of pleasure in those kits, even if I made a right mess with the glue and wasn’t much good painting them either. All the best to you. To happier days!

[@KumaBean]

ph ph Thanks mate, and all the best to you and yours 🤝

[@Pickleriiiiiick]

Thank you for posting this

[@noodlam]

On the right side of the screen at 2:41 it looks like an 88mm flak gun camouflaged. Or a tree leaning over! Never seen this fantastic footage. My uncle was a master sergeant armorer at Honnington during the war in the American 8th Air Force. He was killed by a crash landing B-17 in 1944 while working in a line shack. The crew of the bomber survived.

[@malcellison8831]

Very sad to hear, mate. Respect to your uncle.

[@46514651]

Respect sir. RIP.

[@alonsocushing2263]

And no terrain warning systems in those days. Seat of the pants stuff.

[@tinymonster9762]

Sir, your uncle may well rest in Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial at Madingley. If so, he is well looked after, the cemetery is impeccable. I visited last year. We have not forgotten.

[@noodlam]

@@tinymonster9762 Thank you. They transported him home and his grave is a half mile from my house. He gets marigolds planted every Spring.

[@davidlong1459]

Incredible footage of such bravery the like of which I’ve not seen before. This has really brought home to me a bit about what it might have been like for the uncle I never met. He died flying in a light bomber in late 1940 and my dad (his brother) was affected by that loss all his life.

[@johndoppleguard]

Sure ,TINA marie was there her first hand account of the flying and die in is riveting.... Her unfortunate and untimely demise was a real shock to the entire county in Missoura where she was interned. Protesters for peace, the originals, made quite the fuss over a woman posing as a man flying for the army air corps. Ruined the service for all 3 of us that was there.

[@kl0wnkiller912]

My father flew in A-26s in Korea doing ground attack. He told me one pilot hit a ship mast with his wing. He made it back with a huge dent in the wing!

[@adi-lan1317]

Damn hes lucky

[@ianprice9563]

Those are Douglas A20 Bostons in the film (in the RAF 'Boston' was used for the bomber version; 'Havoc' was the name applied to night fighter and intruder variants; I think the USAAF called their A20s Havocs). The A26 is a different aircraft (and I don't think the RAF had any). The USAF retired their A20 Havocs before the Korean War.

[@kl0wnkiller912]

@@ianprice9563 I know about all that. I was just pointing out that the hazardous ground attack stuff was just as bad in Korea as in WW2.

[@judeodomhnaill9711]

@@kl0wnkiller912 hardcore story. Korea guys were badass.

[@barbaradyson6951]

@@judeodomhnaill9711 Korea was a UN war. Where ALL pilots worked.

[@hamsterking91]

I shed a tear for these men, I feel so bad they had to sacrafice their youth.....Respect!

[@louisschweitzer4111]

You might also shed a tear for civil people under the fire storm (P²O² bomb)...As old soldiers said: "you need to see the eyes of the man you're killing..."

[@harryballsacky]

THEY FOUGHT SO THEY WOULDN'T END UP DEMOCRATS

[@billdeburgh]

They fought the Germans and eventually lost their lands 50-60 years on.

[@stevewright8312]

Don't forget the youth of all sides lost lives. Those on the winning side can be seen to have done so for 'the cause' the losing side however thought they too had a cause!

[@chuckfinley6156]

when you can see your own shadow, you're pretty low. awesome footage.

[@PoochAndBoo]

When your shadow and your plane become one....you're even lower!

[@Mateyhv1]

One of the most awesome bomber footage I have ever seen! The hazard is way bigger than in standard high altitude bombing. No time for bail out, vulnerable to fighters as well as to small firearms!

[@marcatkinson5187]

Look for the raid on Ploesti. American B-24s at the same height, but the Liberators were slow and clumsy. At least these guys had faster smaller planes to fly.

[@MrTubbymarshall]

@@marcatkinson5187 the ploesti attack certainly wasn’t as low as this and you know it. It may have been low altitude but not ground level.

[@YouT00ber]

@@MrTubbymarshall it’s a legendary raid, nonetheless

[@andremaertens5964]

Living in occupied country as a young child I was told to look if the aircrafts were flying high or low if they were high to go in the bomb shelter , the aircrafts were piloted by Americans but if they were low all was well they were in allied hands

[@pastrie42]

I always love the intros to these old videos. They look and sound like every old cartoon opening. I know it's just how their editing tech and video culture was, but it's still crazy to see.

[@Andy-qo6rq]

The pilots where from the free french units who escaped to England when Germany invaded France. The mosquito squadron that attack a German prison that held French resistance fighters and due to be executed had been so low one plane was lost when it hit a telegraph pole. One other hit power lines between telegraph poles. Now that’s low.

[@itsmeagain1018]

yes true and one pilot had to tell another to pull up he was below him at a few feet of the ground

[@Andy-qo6rq]

@@itsmeagain1018 he must have liked the feeling of the grass on his balls of steel.

[@simonpalling3215]

Amiens jail, Operation Jericho... Not sure it was free french squadron on that mission though there may have been one or two french pilots. Mostly RAF, and Aussies and New Zealanders.. and the breach in the jail outer wall can still be seen because when repaired, the new stone used was a poor colour match.

[@Andy-qo6rq]

@@simonpalling3215 didn’t say the jail attack was free french pilots I said the power station was free french pilots. I then went onto say low level attacks by the mosquito squadron on the prison was very low.

[@terrancedactielle5460]

@@Andy-qo6rq confusing, Americans flew b17s but Germans flew FW190s.........

[@KuroHebi]

The footage is incredible. Props to the cameramen who documented these events. Of course, I don't need to mention the bravery of the pilots and crewmen in those bombers.

[@papyfun5097]

camera man never dies

[@dooshee2]

Some of the film shown here was taken by a 342 Crewman who was given a camera to record the mission, sadly he was killed soon after. He lies in the Canadian Cemetery in Dieppe, France.

[@lebaillidessavoies3889]

Respect to our brave french pilots of the ffl bombardment group Lorraine , many of them died in combat As we can see here , low level and dangerousness of the missions.

[@lifesentencesuxsodoesplayz7861]

U sure must b French...dangerosity???!!

[@simonpalling3215]

Big up to the Great Britain that gave those French somewhere to escape to and then provided them with the means and support to actually fight back...

[@alexandrebourdinot5344]

@@lifesentencesuxsodoesplayz7861 Yeah this is a litteral translation, I think he meant dangerousness

[@lifesentencesuxsodoesplayz7861]

@@alexandrebourdinot5344 I know. I just like to break balls..lol

[@markarament6776]

Brave French pilots used to fly back to base for lunch, instead of fighting the Germans during invasion of France in 1940.

[@beaudanner]

Sound design has come a loooong way. That endless loop of a plane passing by as we're in the view of the plane itself made me kinda crazy 😁

[@wizrom3046]

Yeah it was fake sound using a short tape loop of planes and some Foley boom sounds on top. Fair enough, the film cameras used on the planes in this footage were video only...

[@redeye--2753]

@@wizrom3046 Film, not video 😉

[@wizrom3046]

@@redeye--2753 it's still called audio and video even when the video is film based.

[@davidbaker8957]

Brilliant airmanship well done to everyone who took part.

[@adrianpeters2413]

Take note.....never live near important infrastructure ....

[@francescoboselli6033]

Me leaving in town with an active Italian air force military base, where there are also stored American nuclear bombs: 🤡

[@janjoska2549]

Hmm, military airfield to the left. Military repairworks tho the right.

[@Den-uw3rs]

@@janjoska2549 one nuke on both of them... Epicentre is...🤔

[@jouniairplanevideos]

my parents take your advise. I live near a lake and idustry and a airport ar on the land side of the city not at the lake side

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Mmmmm three miles away from both the UK Aircraft Carriers.....

[@johan185wrestler7]

This was great footage for back then,thank you for sharing!!! Love it:)

[@c0l57v49]

The engine noises (apart from being repeated) are how you’d hear a plane passing you instead of a constant hum if you were onboard 😂 good footage though

[@marksasahara1115]

Yeah, that was incredibly annoying!

[@gibberish1551]

indeed. A pity they did that. Back then I suspect they just had such limited facilities (and possibly couldn't record sound continuously on board) and people back then (who weren't airmen) most likely won't have noticed.

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

@@gibberish1551 yes, essentially you've nailed it

[@MrAdopado]

The sound was from a plane with Merlin (e.g. Spitfire, Hurricane, Mosquito) engines so definitely not from a Boston.

[@goodfodder]

sounds better than a constant drone

[@cpcattin]

Those kids must have had incredible endurance to hold low and steady for so long. WW 2 bombers were a handful. When those crews got back to base they must have just collapsed. Brave men. A match for any enemy.

[@joestephan1111]

The usual scenario when they got back was to drink all night long to try & make it all go away.

[@salvadorfelix5723]

They weren't kids, they were men💪

[@rnstoo1]

STOP calling them kids!!!! Today you can call them that because that's how they behave. These airmen were MEN and damned brave ones at that

[@stevemerrick4044]

Seems to be remains of D day stripes on wing of camera a/c making footage 1944..?

[@bertoldriesenteil1430]

They don't make haystacks like those anymore.

[@welshpete12]

They don't make men like that any more !

[@sssxxxttt]

Is there a video where one can see how that kind of haystacks are constructed/built?

[@Salmon_Rush_Die]

I was noticing the haystacks too. There is a science to constructing a proper haystack. Probably not that many people in the modern era know how to do that anymore.

[@bertoldriesenteil1430]

@Hoa Tattis I think l have seen footage of German AA gun-positions hidden within that type of haystack.

[@metamaggot]

they do in romania

[@tigertiger1699]

I cant watch this without tears.. thinking of their courage… the audacity of their commitment…, I imagine the French farmers/ families hearts and fists lifting for these crews as the buzz overhead… Our old man said to never underestimate just how desperate things/ people were 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@Yeoman7]

My grand dad did this in the RAF ,but in B-25 Michells

[@fauzanilhamnabil4901]

my ancestors , Doing the same thing was different he didn't come back from the mission because he was driving Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka .

[@Beauxtrux]

My uncle was a 20 year old B24 co-pilot on the 1943 Romanian oil field raids and was MIA over the Aegean sea after the raid. These guys flew into danger every mission, and low flight was a normal tactic.

[@Lockbar]

Commander after return: "Great work boys, but next time you don't need to become lawn-mowers!"

[@rugerdog77able]

Those guys were flying so low they should have brought their fishing poles!

[@mickywanderer8276]

Without fancy computers, radar, lasers, etc. The controls weren't power assisted I think. You moved them with brute strength.

[@boxhawk5070]

RAF Bostons were Douglas A-20 Havocs.

[@AtheistOrphan]

In RAF service they were officially called Bostons.

[@paulsutphin6703]

In service in some form through the Vietnam war!

[@pinback667]

@@paulsutphin6703 Getting mixed up there, the Havoc was out of service by 1950. You’re thinking of the Douglas Invader.

[@barneydenstad2148]

Also, they were in several versions. Default was a bomber, but they were also used as attacking planes. I guess the attacking version was called the Havoc.

[@jimcrawford5039]

Very brave boys!

[@The.Drunk-Koala]

This is awesome footage. Pretty much the pilots view. I wish there was more if this around I could watch it all day.

[@VadoVoodoo]

My dad was fighting in North Africa at the time against Rommel. He never got home for breakfast after every battle. Let's not forget those in less flashier occupations during the war.

[@benoitbvg2888]

Dude. Look at the pilots' survival rate during WWII before writing this kind of nonsense.

[@VadoVoodoo]

@@benoitbvg2888 I don't think the thousands who watched them fly home from the ground thought it was nonsense. I'm not blaming the pilots and crew at all and yes they fought in absolute peril, but they got home every night.

[@benoitbvg2888]

@@VadoVoodoo ... *when* they got home. And did you even realize that this video is about FRENCH pilots? So no, they did not come "home" every night... But I really don't understand why you need to talk trash on the pilots and imply that they "had it easy" just to glorify your grandfather? It's really not needed, bruh. And it's just plain false : only 25% of pilots made it through the war, I'd be surprised if the army sent to maghreb had more than 10% of casualties...

[@VadoVoodoo]

@@benoitbvg2888 Oh dear me, how dare I be grateful or even proud. How dare I point out the differences between fighting men in the air and fighting men on the ground and the Oceans and what runs under them.. ? I was only asking that people run the contrasts through their minds. But you got offended. I meant no malice or mischief. Relax.

[@billkingston4402]

Great filming for the time, amazing skill by the flight crews

[@magiczack291]

the audio is for sure someone in a radio tower recording a plane passing closely over head and as it goes to pass out of ear shot it loops the audio back to the start

[@theflyingfrog]

My grandfather Léonce Cohen was a Boston crew member in 342 (Lorraine) Squadron. He died in May 1943 during a low level training mission.

[@davidjordan9759]

RIP for a brave man.

[@barneydenstad2148]

RIP, Léonce Cohen!

[@michaelgwebster]

My grandfather Roger Hetigin was a navigator with 342 Lorraine, killed on return from mission to Rennes August 1943. RIP all of them

[@MrSvetozar11]

Long live the fighting France! Thanks to Great Britain and Mr. Churchill!!

[@eseven2547]

who else glad that Dark footage didn't narrated this w that secretive voice

[@dylantrinder1571]

Secretive voice! It's just so annoying and computer generated that I unsubscribed from that channel.

[@JimmyFoxhound]

Oh my gosh this 🤣🤣 he covers stuff that makes me click on the video but as soon as I hear that awful voice I close the video immediately!

[@executivesteps]

@@dylantrinder1571 I don’t think it’s computer generated. He’s just trying to add suspense and all he accomplishes is annoying a lot of people.

[@dylantrinder1571]

@@executivesteps you're so right about annoying people. I thought it may be computer generated because its at that constant pace and so so monotone. Thanks for the response.

[@davecrupel2817]

I can not STAND how fast he talks. For some reason, fast talking and his style of voice DO NOT mix.

[@tonyh3219]

Stunning flying skills , amazing crews. Just level with the top of haystacks , tremendous film footage.

[@mhos6940]

The Douglas A20 Havoc/Boston is often overlooked these days. One of the best light bombers of WW2. Of course a plane is only as good as its pilot. Great footage!👍

[@flukedogwalker3016]

I didn't realize that over 3,000 A-20 were given to the Russians on the lend lease program and they loved them.

[@dntlss]

A20S were rugged and could take quite the punishment and were fast as all get out,i love em!!

[@dntlss]

@@flukedogwalker3016 The Russians loved their gifts and they use the hell out of them,P39s were some of their favorites and they put them to good use.

[@markoldreive]

Hong Kong Models have recently released a 1/32 A-20 G Havoc kit

[@MyS10Rocks]

God Bless these incredibly brave heroes!!

[@andrisbig7710]

Bad guys won, as is clearly visible even for complete idiots now in 2021. Hitler was psychopath, but what is now is far worse. FAR worse.

[@robertiggulden2998]

Never seen that clip before,dangerous work !

[@robfielding100]

Those pilots must have had very mixed emotions on leaving French shores. Courage, fortitude and determination of these young men saved the free world.

[@Yetipfote]

This channel honestly is gold!

[@mrcool2107]

This was awesome

[@claudiogeorge5366]

Douglas A-20 Boston Mk III of 342 Sqdn ( Lorraine), Free French Air Force (1944).

[@bmused55]

All the thousands of engine soundbytes to hand and they choose a flyby and played it over and over. By 1943 Pathé had plenty onboard sounds to use! Still, the footage itself is remarkable.

[@ThePhoenix198]

Must admit, it did detract from what was otherwise superb footage.

[@bmused55]

@@arlingtonhynes Feel better now? Get your little bit of adrenaline from the name calling?

[@fourfoldway]

That bothered me, too. Granted they had to put some accompaniment to the footage, which was no doubt filmed without sound. But even a steady engine drone would have been better than that flyover sound. Wrong point of view, so to speak.

[@whipandride4781]

@@arlingtonhynes I am feeling more secure now that I know the grammar Nazi is on task. Seeg Hale!

[@jerrymartin7019]

@@arlingtonhynes Consider self harm.

[@livingonthetyne]

The quality in cameras in the aircraft back then you know it’s legit when they can see what colour of the tab you have in ur mouth from a satellite in space on a clear day these days.

[@StarsManny]

What?

[@shiftyshamsk]

Amazing footage. Young guns in action. 👍🏻 They used this backing music in Tom and Jerry.

[@waffloe]

The hardest part must have been stopping their giant brass balls from dragging along the groumd

[@waffloe]

@Real Thailand yeah fair point, it was an easy target and low hanging fruit.

[@IceManHG117]

@@waffloe phrasing.

[@waffloe]

@@IceManHG117 Exactly!

[@sw8741]

@Real Thailand Don't you worry none, in the future there won't be any men around. Remember, today, there is no such thing as a man, only a social construct.

[@Andrew-yb1uv]

Thank you. That was amazing. Such skill and bravery.

[@Marcus_Octavius_Maximus]

Why did they loop the aircraft engine sound? I can't be the only one to notice that.

[@n523dg5]

just the way it was back then. no audio recorded at the same time as the video

[@brianperry]

Thank heavens for Pathe News...

[@FrankBenlin]

Imagine being out tending the crops in occupied France and experiencing this fly over. A distant rumble becomes a roar and then they're gone.

[@1glopz]

And then in the distance the headquarters of the invading army just blew up vive la France

[@rustynailer8655]

I have not seen this before, brilliant footage. Is there any more Free French Airforce footage waiting to be aired at British Pathe I wonder.

[@SvenK-CAD]

I agree' and man that is "low" flying !

[@manic2360]

@@Markfnyc ..We know its propaganda, it was of its time, that doesnt take away the fact it was awesome footage of brave men doing amazing things captured on film. We are adult enough to understand all of this, and the nuances involved. Why you needed to be so aggressive on YT channel showing movie night news to a UK audience in 1943, is frankly a bit weird. Unless youre sad the Germans lost..?

[@andyburk4825]

@@Markfnyc - taking out loans from the Bank of International Settlements to the tune of ~ 120 billion dollars helped.

[@dooshee2]

There is similar footage of a Boston attack on the Phillips Radio Factory in Holland I believe in 1942? Operation Oyster. Other RAF squadrons took part including Mosquito and Ventura bomber units. Sadly there were heavy losses both amongst the aircrews and Dutch civilian population.

[@theadvocate4698]

Any Pierre Clostermann footage? His booked filled my teenage years!

[@kaseymoe]

More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. [Actually the 8th Air Force alone suffered about 5,000 more KIA than the entire Marine Corps in WW2. While completing the required 30 missions, an airman's chance of being killed was 71%. My father flew 50 bombing missions over Germany as a B-24 nose gunner. Being in the nose he said he was always the first to leave and the first to get back. He kept a notebook of their bombing targets but when he was getting out of the Army Air Corp they saw it and took it from him. I wish he would have hidden it better, I would like to have it now.

[@derekbaker3279]

Yes indeed. And the RAF & RCAF had similar stats. For the western Allies, being in a bomber crew was just about the most dangerous job of the war.

[@barneydenstad2148]

I know their casualties were high. But are you sure it was 71% dead? Not "just" casualties? Because casualties means ALSO taken prisoner POW (quite a common over Germany) and taken serious wound. Some also managed to land in Sweden. And technically were lost, thus casualty, but did nicely in Sweden. Living almost free, and with salary money from US embassy...

[@trsrctab7019]

Fabulous footage of fabulous men

[@YDDES]

Don’t forget that the French fought together with the Nazis against the British before they changed side.

[@trsrctab7019]

@@YDDES rumour not fact. A large amount of legion officers were German is a fact. But your claims are not.

[@robertdantona7952]

Fantastic footage. Thank you brave pilots, crews and documentors. This is great film. However, the sound is horrible being that they just looped an aircraft flyby over and over.

[@turnupthesun81]

God Damn that’s low!!! The skill,concentration and nerves these guys had is amazing.

[@larrrevenga49]

That’s heroic stuff rite there ! Duplicated a million times By men with true courage For god and country 💪

[@jourwalis-8875]

A very exciting film! And all the more so because all this happened in reality. It is not a play or a reconstruction. You really feel as if you were there, with them on the mission.

[@mybluebelly]

Wonder if they used time delays on the bombs since they were flying so low...not much time to get away from the blast.

[@sueneilson896]

They increased altitude before the final approach to better see the target and avoid the blast. Also used delay fuses .

[@peterhuffam1006]

Excellent question! Different aerial weapons demand different delivery speeds and angles of attack, “bluebelly”. For simple “lay down” bombing, retarding parachutes or bolt on “air brake” fins were used to slow the bomb enough, so that the delivery aircraft could escape the blast - which didn’t always work. As this film shows, multiple attack waves MUST be spaced properly, or else the first weapons on target become a threat to subsequent attacking aircraft. The part of the movie that show the aircraft being knocked around by bomb blasts would have been absolutely terrifying for the crew - those blast waves can (and frequent have) tear the wings right off an airplane that is too close to the detonation.

[@mybluebelly]

@@sueneilson896 Jesus, i can`t imagine trying to drop your bombs accurately while climbing. Wasn`t the bombers flying very low when dropping which be unproblematic if they used time delays? I was thinking the aircraft that filmed was flying much higher and did not carry any bombs. Do you happen to know how long the maximum delays could be? I can`t help but wonder if this measure was implemented to save civilian lives so they could get away before the bombs went off.

[@sueneilson896]

Not climbing, just level altitude, then once bombs gone, back to the deck for home. In the video, you can see the bombing altitude is somewhat higher than the earlier flying.

[@dooshee2]

@@sueneilson896 my father told me that they normally climbed to 1500ft just before they dropped their bomb load.

[@russisaac813]

Incredible footage, that Panoramic shot of the planes racing along, just above the treeline is insane!! Crikes, the guts those kids had. Outstanding.

[@user-zy5po1sp4w]

The ironic fact is, that engine sound is added at editing process by the best editor at that time.

[@vinny9708]

Astonishing footage thank you

[@wokejcickisapinko5162]

I just watched "The Train" The star was some guy named Burt Lancaster! It took place in France! I really liked it!

[@The-F.R.E.E.-J.]

That's funny , we just watched that a week ago too! Lancaster was a great talent.

[@datadavis]

"some guy"😅

[@Rich77UK]

How far humanity has fallen since 1943.

[@andybrown6981]

those haystacks are amazing

[@roxybot9840]

Smashing good job!

[@331SVTCobra]

Fantasy: you're a Free French pilot flying an A-20 with four 500 lb bombs, and up ahead is your neighbor's house, the guy who planted trees just to block your view...

[@BorisOsipov]

exactly

[@fatdad64able]

Then It's either him, or the trees!

[@Tom_Quixote]

Or the one with a dog that's barking all the time.

[@jabojr5171]

It's annoying that they just keep playing the same 3 second soundtrack through the whole thing.

[@ianprice9563]

I know, they should have done much better. I mean, it's not like there was a war on!

[@fakshen1973]

It's the sound of a prop plane passing rather than the interior sound of a two engine bomber steadily flying. Someone thought looping it over and over would be a good idea. I guess at a time when only a few people in the world had flown in an aircraft and these reels were only playing in movie theatres, this was acceptable.

[@mirror1675]

The white chalk cliffs of the southern English coast did not exactly represent "the bastion of liberty for a thousand years", but I still get a lump in my throat every time I see them.

[@patcowley6378]

this is powerfull footage...thank you

[@Togidubnus]

Until now, I had no idea that a Free French Airforce ever existed. I salute you, sirs.

[@hangar1873]

And free french navy, free french armored force etc...

[@trackie1957]

And a Free Polish Army. They were the ones who finally took Monte Casino after the other tries failed.

[@richardpopielarz8526]

@@trackie1957 And the 1st Polish Armoured Division was successful at Chambois & Falaise, as well as liberated Abbeville on 12 September 1944, where the French & British met at a conference exactly five years earlier - and violated their treaty with Poland by not coming to her aid against Germany. That aid would have hindered the Germans and possibly shortened the war and altered the course of history.

[@barneydenstad2148]

I wasnt clearly aware of this either. Yet they did had a fighter regiment in Sovjet, the Normandie-Njemen fighter regiment, flying on soviet Yaks.

[@fatherandson932]

The Douglas A-20 looks very similar to the Martin B-26 in many ways.

[@wolfgangharden61]

It is gold to know we are friends now

[@concise707]

How those guys must have breathed a sigh of relief when their Blenheims were replaced by the Bostons! And how they would have fretted when they heard other sqns were being re-equipped with Mosquitoes!

[@dooshee2]

In 342 'Lorraine's' case their Boston's were latterly replaced with B25 Mitchell's, by that time itself a rather 'old stager'.

[@dhss333]

Bostons were no more enemy attack proof than Blenheims.

[@concise707]

@@dhss333 Indeed, but cruise speed of 240 kts vs 172 kts, climb rate 2000 fpm vs 1500 fm, more armour plating, self sealing fuel tanks and far better defensive armament would improve one's survival prospects vs the obsolete Blenheim more than somewhat!

[@timwingham8952]

And spare a thought for the crews of 21, 464 and 487 Sqns, who had the misfortune to fly Lockheed Venturas on daylight raids. Whilst Venturas had relatively heavy defensive armament their performance made them vulnerable in the extreme.

[@concise707]

@@timwingham8952 d'accord! (Given the subject matter of the thread, it seemed an appropriate response!)