" TARGET FOR TODAY " EIGHTH ARMY AIR FORCES RAID ON EAST PRUSSIA B-17 & B-24 PART 1 21202

Part 2: • " TARGET FOR TODAY " ...
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Target for Today is a documentary film describing the preparation and mounting of a United States Army Air Forces raid on East Prussia It contains much combat footage of B-17 and B-24 bombers and named for the phrase used at briefings before air raids. The October 1943 footage was filmed during Eighth Air Force attacks on Nazi Germany industrial targets in Anklam, the 22nd Air Base in Marienburg (on the 9th), and Gdynia in occupied Poland. Prior to the combat footage, the documentary explains Operation Pointblank target selection and depicts planning, briefing, and preparation.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@elli003]

Molesworth, Kimbolton, Grafton Underwood, Polebrook - all mentioned in this film by unit number are marked with stone and masonry monuments today commemorating what happened from 1940-1945, but they're all farms again now. There were remnants to see in 1978, but when I returned in 2007 they were almost all consumed or re-purposed. They reminded me of the movie and tv series 12 O-Clock High. Boys having to grow-up too fast to become men. I suppose it's always that way in wartime.

[@jimlaursen5584]

My older brother flew out of England with the 8th AF waist gunner on B 24 also Ploeste oil field raid 1943 awarded DFC and Purple Heart

[@captainclone1367]

WOW! He was on the Tidal Wave attack? My deep respect for his service!

[@jimlaursen5584]

@@captainclone1367 My brother said 176 bombers made the run on Ploeste there were 25 bombers in his squadron only 5 bombers made it back and he was on one of them he was lucky.

[@hashtag415]

My father was in the 8th Air Force. He flew in bombing missions over Germany and occupied areas as a tail gunner in a B-17. He was the guy who got shot at first.

[@jaminova_1969]

My Uncle was a bombidier on a B-17 ! Those guys were amazing!

[@scottlarson1548]

Fortunately the Luftwaffe eventually changed their tactics to head-on attacks.

[@dankgenetics3671]

Luv these old films

[@wtfbuddy1]

Great historical film - all done my humans - NO COMPUTERS

[@veg1run]

Pencil, Paper, Slide Rule, & landline Telephones !

[@wtfbuddy1]

@@bobsemple7660 That was to break codes, not target acquisition

[@scottlarson1548]

William Shirer said in "End of a Berlin Diary" that at the end of the war hardly any German industry had received damage as severe as a broken window. The bombing disrupted production but didn't halt it. The Army estimated that most German industry would be back to 100% as soon as transportation and the electrical grid was restored. Industries like steel and chemical products had expanded so much during wartime that the parts that weren't damaged could easily produce more than enough for the German people during peacetime. The bombing had a far more severe effect on Japan.

[@billhuber2964]

My uncle was a radioman in a b-25 w/the 8th air force during this time.

[@captainclone1367]

The 8th Air Force did not fly B-25's, must have been B-24's.

[@billhuber2964]

@@captainclone1367 my mistake. He didn't talk much about about the war. Like my dad part of that generation.

[@mihjq]

Not that it matters, but I happen to have visited all of the places mentioned: Anklam (really small town in formerly communist East Germany) Marienburg (Now Malbork, one of the biggest medieval castles and Polish Airforce base -not in the same place, of course) Danzig (pronounced 'dantsig', now Gdańsk, of the Solidarity movement fame) Gdynia (Surprised by English speakers pronouncing a Polish word CORRECTLY, they must have rehearsed) But don't ask me whether I saw any traces of the bombardments... I didn't even realize that they had happened there. Thanks from Szczecin, Poland (then Stettin, 3rd Reich)

[@KCODacey]

Was anyone thinking what I was thinking looking at this film: how many of these men didn't survive the war?

[@Bateman_Shorts]

Thanks

[@oaktadopbok665]

Danzig, eh? Well that just fine. Yes sir, that's real fine! Danzig!

[@AzaTht]

21:41 Captain Kirk? 🖖

[@ThomasDohertyJD]

Some Bernard Herrman type music in this film Too bad didn't get to end credits

[@pablononpicasso1977]

The crews thinking "horse shit" while being told "The Royal Navy will be patrolling the routes....and any crews ditching will likely be picked up very quickly.". A distinct lack of conviction when saying that one as the crews now the odds. "The commanding General of Bomber command asked us to put out a special effort today..." like any other day their fellows died wasn't special. Makes nice PR but this film was not for the crews.

[@rollosnook]

The North Sea temperature in April would give them 30-90 minutes survival time, not including wind chill, injury, enemy patrols and other factors. With even a small wind chill, they would be dead in 15 minutes in the water.

[@taunteratwill1787]

Blablabla blabberde bla bla!