''Combat America'' is a 1945

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

produced in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, narrated by

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

. At the time of the film's production in 1943, Gable was a 1st Lieutenant in the

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces ...

, part of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. While he was stationed in England, Gable flew five combat missions from May 4–September 23, 1943, and during one of them, his boot was struck by an anti-aircraft shell, and he was nearly hit by other flak bursts. Gable's film crew included MGM cameraman Andrew J.McIntyre; 1st Lt. Howard Voss, a sound engineer; Master Sgt. Robert Boles, a cameraman; Master Sgt. Marlin Toti, another cameraman; and 1st Lt. John Mahlin, a scriptwriter." ''Combat America'' was originally intended to be used as a recruiting film for aerial gunners; however, by the time it began production, the needs for gunners had lessened. The film was completed as an account of aerial combat over occupied Europe and as a testament to the Eighth Air Force aircrew and ground crew in England.

Synopsis

In 1943, in preparation for overseas deployment, 400 pilots and 3,600 crewmen of the

351st Bombardment Group The 351st Missile Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, which was last based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Assigned to Strategic Air Command for most of its existence, the wing maintained LGM-30F Minuteman II ICBMs in a st ...

assemble at a Colorado air base. Arriving in England, as part of the Eighth Air Force, the 351st BG is welcomed by the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

and begins training, attending daily lectures on security. Their first mission flying

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theat ...

bombers has the armada departing at 15-second intervals. The first mission of the 351st on

Fortress Europe Fortress Europe (german: Festung Europa) was a military propaganda term used by both sides of the Second World War which referred to the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, as opposed to the United Kingdom across the Channe ...

, after fighting through

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...

defenders, is a success, with all 20 B-17s returning safely back to base. The danger of flying in massed formation, however, is brought home in training, when a collision takes place over the home base. Missions are also not always without casualties and 351st bombers are shot down. Wounded airmen who make it back to base, are cared for at a nearby hospital. When bombers are all shot up, the ground crew works up to 90-hour periods to put them back into service. As the mission tallies build, the men partake in activities at the base, including games, socializing and worship. The U.S.O. brings entertainers such as

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

while the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

provides the men with rest and recreation. During special parades, commanders of the 8th Air Force bestow medals for exceptional service and sacrifice. The 351st participates in a big mission into Germany and after flying for about three hours, the B-17s' fighter escort turns back. As the bombers near their target to drop incendiary and anti-personnel bombs, enemy fighter aircraft appear and intense flak comes up from the ground. After a long battle, the 351st returns to base, ready to fight again until the war is over.

Cast

as Himself / Aerial gunner / Narrator * General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold as Himself / Commander, U.S. Army Air Forces (credited as H.H. Arnold) * General Ira C. Eaker as Himself / Commander of the 8th Air Force *

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as well ...

as Himself *

Frances Langford Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nighting ...

as Herself *

Jack Pepper Jack Pepper (born Edward Jackson Culpepper; June 14, 1902 – April 1, 1979) was an American vaudeville dancer, singer, comedian, musician, and later in life a nightclub manager. Pepper began entertaining on the vaudeville circuit in his ...

as Himself * Tony Romano as Himself * William A. Hatcher , , Himself , , Commanding General * Philip G. Hulse as Himself / Top Turret Gunner * Kenneth L. Huls as Himself / Ball Turret Gunner * Theodore R. Argiropulos (Randall) as Himself / Pilot * Robert Wallace as Himself / Co-Pilot * Daniel F. Stevens as Himself / Bombardier * Paul J. Postias Himself / Ball Turret Gunner * Tim Tuchet as Himself / Tailgunner * "Ace" Akins as Himself * Pete Provenzale as Himself

Production

In 1942, following the death of his wife, he U.S. Army Air Forces Henry H. "Hap" Arnold offered Gable a "special assignment" in aerial gunnery. The special assignment was to make a recruiting film in combat with the Eighth Air Force. Gable had completed his training as an aerial gunner at the end of January 1943. After ''Combat America'', intended to recruit aerial gunners, Gable went on to work on '' Wings Up'' (1943), recreating much of the training he had gone through as an officer.Argoratus, Steven
"Clark Gable in the 8th Air Force."
''Air Power History'', Spring 1999. Retrieved: January 24, 2017. In ''Combat America'', initial footage depicts aircraft flying over American mountains, then

operations at

RAF Polebrook Royal Air Force Station Polebrook or more simply RAF Polebrook is a former Royal Air Force station located east-south-east of Oundle, at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, England. The airfield was built on Rothschild estate land starting in August ...

The film later shows a wall poster with target names and

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...

s indicating confirmed kills by the bomber group. Combat footage begins three-quarters of the way into the film and includes the take off and return of bomber aircraft on missions. Footage at the end of the film includes a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in an uncontrolled dive with a portion of the horizontal stabilizer missing and a shoot-down of Luftwaffe fighter aircraft. Intercut with the combat footage is close-up footage of machine guns firing from B-17 waist gun positions. A number of contemporary combat aircraft are featured in ''Combat America'', including Boeing B-17F and B-17G Flying Fortress bombers, Republic P-47C Thunderbolt fighter aircraft,

Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester. The Halifax has its orig ...

bombers,

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 ...

Mk.Vb fighter aircraft,

Beechcraft Model 18 The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to Novemb ...

transport and Lockheed Model 12A Electra Junior transport aircraft. German aircraft that are seen are

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' ("Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, th ...

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...

and

Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...

fighter aircraft. In aircraft recognition training, a

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a Nazi Germany, German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers, Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called ''Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") th ...

A bomber and

Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a " wolf in sheep's clothing". Due to restrictions placed on Germany after t ...

H-1 bomber is shown.Santoir, Christian
"Review: 'Combat America'."
''Aeromovies''. Retrieved: January 24, 2017.

Reception

''Combat America'' was typical of the training and recruitment films of the period produced under the auspices of the

Office of War Information The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a United States government agency created during World War II. The OWI operated from June 1942 until September 1945. Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films and other ...

.Koppe and Black, p. 58.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Harris, Warren G. ''Clark Gable: A Biography''. New York: Harmony Books, 2002. . * Koppes, Clayton R. and Gregory D. Black. ''Hollywood Goes to War: How Politics, Profits and Propaganda Shaped World War II Movies''. New York, The Free Press, 1987. .

External links

* * * * {{Authority control American World War II propaganda films American aviation films Films about the United States Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit films Articles containing video clips World War II films made in wartime United States government films 1945 documentary films 1945 films American documentary films